Separation Anxiety
by voice of morgoth
Summary: Dipper and Mabel have been split apart, their forbidden relationship discovered by their parents. Mabel is being shipped off to Dimmsdale for the school year, her parents believing that what she needs is time away from home. A certain pink-clothed teen named Timmy will extend a helping hand to the new student. Timmy x Vicky and Pinecest galore.


"_I'm done waiting._"

Dipper was ready. This day he was going to run; he had the whole plan thought out and he was ready to take action. His sister was separated from him for nearly two months now, their secret relationship discovered by a trick of fate. Dipper was shipped off to Gravity Falls to be watched over by his great uncle Stan. Being kept prisoner by one of the people he loves most drove in deep like a dagger, but it paled in comparison to the separation from Mabel, the feeling like his soul was torn in two. He couldn't deal with it anymore. He'd run, he'd fight; he didn't care what would happen. All he knew was that he wouldn't allow this separation any longer. After several escape attempts, he finally had a confrontation with his great uncle. Dipper was cold and calculating, twisting the dagger of pain he felt into a weapon of his own, weaving half-truths and exaggerations to pierce his uncle's cold heart and bring him over to Dipper's side.

"_Mom will be working at the hospital today. Dad might still be at home, but I can get him out of the house with a simple phone call saying mom's collapsed and getting dizzy and needs to come home. She still doesn't carry a cell phone, so he'd only be able to run out and go check. By the time dad figures out what's happened, he'll be twenty minutes away. That'll give us just enough time to pack Mabel's things and get the hell out._"

Dipper got out of his old bed and picked up his bag. He walked down the stairs to find his old great uncle putting on a show for some dimwitted tourists. Dipper forced himself past the crowd and took the pair of keys his great uncle left out. He walked out to the old man's car and began tossing his bags into the backseat. Dipper walked around and stepped into the driver's seat. He adjusted the seat and mirrors, breathing heavily at what he was about to do. As he turned the keys in the ignition, he looked back one last time. He spotted Stan running out the door, his hand outstretched, beckoning Dipper to stay. Dipper rolled down the window and glared at his uncle.

"What is it? I thought you were going to help us."

"It's too late… I'm sorry Dipper."

Dipper's annoyance was replaced with dread and sadness.

"What are you talking about?"

"I just got a call from your dad… they're shipping Mabel off somewhere. She'll be staying with your mom someplace else for the school year."

"I've still got time!" Dipper shouted defiantly

"No you don't. They're leaving today. Might already be gone. Your dad will be here soon to take you back."

Dipper looked into Stan's eyes and saw that he was telling the truth. Dipper felt his heart shatter; he turned the keys and took them out of the ignition. He slowly stepped out of the car, a blank look burying his emotions deep down into his core. He took his belongings out of the car and walked back over to the Mystery Shack, dropping his bags off and collapsing on the porch. His uncle took a seat beside him and put his arm around.

"I'm sorry, kid. I should have helped you sooner."

Dipper remained silent as his uncle rubbed his shoulder, trying to coax Dipper into any reaction. The teen simply remained silent and still, as if he'd been replaced by a soulless puppet. Stan sighed as several tears formed in his eyes before he flicked them away, annoyed by his own humanity. Eventually the door to the shack opened.

"Whatcha doing?" Soos asked as he dug into the bottom of a bag of chips and took one out, his body on auto-pilot as he mindlessly put the chip in his mouth.

"None of your business, now get back to work. Those customers aren't going to bleed themselves." Stan said.

"Okay." Soos said as he walked back inside, leaving the pair of broken family members to wait for Dipper's father to arrive.

"Don't worry kid. You'll see her again."

"You don't believe that, do you?" Dipper said, the first words in several minutes since he sat down.

"Not fully. But knowing you, you can figure out where they've gone. You're a smart kid. Probably smarter than me. And I'll always leave a place for you around here. Just… just hang in there Dipper."

"Dad knows I'm smart. I saw the look in his eyes when he took me over here. He thinks I'm a freak; probably won't let me out of sight for a second."

Dipper sighed in defeat as he placed his head on his open hands, waiting.

Back in California, Mabel was picking up the last of her bags, somberly dragging them out the door into her mother's car. Mabel collapsed into the backseat and closed the door, staring at her old house for possibly the last time. The car started moving and Mabel's house slid out of view. After the old sputtering mess of a vehicle was several blocks away, the Pines' mother began speaking.

"I'm sorry sweetie, but it's for the best."

"Where are we going, anyways?" Mabel asked somberly.

"This small city called Dimmsdale. It's some hours away from here."

"How long are we staying?"

"However long we need."

Mabel went silent as the car drove away from the neighborhood. Her mother tried conversing with her daughter, but Mabel remained mute as her and her mother drove into an unknown future. In another week, Mabel would be at a new school; new faces, new people, and new places. And she didn't care about any of it. Dipper was taken from her grasp. His warmth, his smile, the brush of his hands on her skin. Everything was ripped from her, and now she was being condemned by her parents to leave him, possibly forever. Mabel gazed at the passing sights with disinterest as her mother traveled to their new residence.

Dipper arrived back home several hours later, hopeful for one last look at his twin, but she was already gone. Dipper took his bags, seemingly weighing heavier than they ever have, and walked up to his room. He glanced at Mabel's room, empty of her belongings, and walked over to his. He made his way inside and shut the door. His father hadn't spoken to him the entire trip, as if Dipper was nothing more than a freak that his dad was stuck having to care for. Dipper locked the door to his room and walked over to his bed. He remembered the times he spent in there with Mabel. Watching stupid movies and laughing, reading old comic books together, telling scary stories, singing badly to their favorite songs. Dipper felt a gash in his heart; everything he had bottled up starting to overflow. He remembered how a little over a year ago he was finally forced to confront his feelings for Mabel. He remembered the relief he felt when he found out she felt the same way he did. He remembered the sneaking off, the hidden exchanges amongst friends, and the times they spent alone. The warmth of her skin against his, the feelings of her long, flowing hair in his hand as he held her close. The little sounds she made when they shared their intimacy.

And he remembered the last time they were together. They were in his room; it was during the day in the beginning of summer. The twins' parents had already left for work, but their mother forgot something; something small and simple and stupid, like a piece of paper or a note that needed signing. Dipper and Mabel were immersed in their own world, savoring each other's presence as they made love. They didn't hear the car returning; they didn't hear the footsteps up the stairs, and they didn't even hear the door open. But he remembered Mabel's face. Her shock and worry and sadness as she held her hand over her mouth. The sudden screaming of his mother as she stumbled backwards. The hurried scramble of the twins to put their clothes back on; his mother stumbling into the bathroom and hurling into the toilet. The yelling, the crying, attempting to defend his sister, the pairs' pleas falling on deaf ears. And the look in his father's eyes when he got home and the twins' mother explained everything. Dipper could see it; the same look his father gave him on the ride back. Disgust and shame; looking down on his son like Dipper was a defect.

Dipper simply dropped his bags and lay down on the bed, long beyond the point of anger and tears. Dipper just lay there, thinking about fate's cruel prank on his life.

The next week passed by as if time had come screeching to a halt, and yet every moment was a blur of meaninglessness. Dipper wasn't allowed to meet up with any of his friends, or allowed to use the computer, or allowed to make phone calls. He was a prisoner in his own house. His father and him simply passed by each other, as if they were two people caught in separate universes, unaware of the other's presence. Mabel's week didn't go by any smoother. Her mother had taken to trying to talk to her at any given chance, believing that Mabel was taken advantage of by her brother. Mabel was long past the point of protesting the issue, her parents deeply buried in their own version of the reality, since the truth was far too complicated and unnerving for them to consider. Mabel ignored her mother as she worked on different art projects, trying to maintain her sanity in the face of the separation.

Come Monday morning, the school year began. Dipper was dressed and ready to walk out and take the bus as usual when he was stopped by his father.

"We're taking the car." his father stated in a voice that made it clear that it was a command rather than an offer.

Dipper obeyed his father, who silently drove Dipper to school. Dipper stood out of the car and swung his backpack onto his shoulders. The last people he wanted to see greeted him at the door.

"Hey Dipper, didn't take the bus?" Dipper's friend said.

"No." Dipper stated while putting on a false smile.

"What's been happening lately? We didn't see you for a couple of months."

"Problems in the home. Mom and dad have split."

"That sucks. I see Mabel isn't here either."

"Yeah, she's staying with mom up north."

"That sucks. I know you two were really close. Can't imagine what it must feel like."

"You have no idea."

Dipper walked with his friends into the school, only half-aware of his surroundings. He was wondering how Mabel was doing in her new home. Mabel was driven up to her new school and got out, giving a half-hearted wave to her mother as she drove away. Mabel slowly wandered in, taking in the view of her new location.

"Dimmsdale Southern High." Mabel said with a sigh. Mabel walked into the school, not bothering to put up a happy façade. After all, she didn't know anyone in the place. It isn't like they'd notice anything different about her personality. She slowly made her way into the first class of the day.

"Math." she grumbled. She hated math. Dipper was always the numbers wiz, and now she didn't even have him to help her. She sighed as she walked in. She looked around the room, looking for someone she wouldn't mind skulking in the presence of. She spotted a strangely dressed teenager, covered in a bright pink jacket and wearing jeans. She took her seat next to him.

"Hey." he said casually.

"Hello." Mabel said with a low voice.

"So, junior?"

"No. New in town."

"I see you aren't the talkative type."

"No, not really."

"What brings you out here?"

"Parents got divorced."

"That sucks."

"You have no idea."

As Mabel sighed into her chair, the teacher walked in. A gangly, pale, short man with a strange air around him, hunched over and perpetually frowning. The teacher looked down his nose, his eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses with the shimmer of the morning sun upon them. The teacher wrote his name on the board. "Denzel Crocker." He then took out a list of names and began checking off the students.

"Joey Abernathy."

"Here."

"Thomas Anderson."

"Here."

As the teacher made his way down the list, a scraggily dressed teen dashed into the room.

"I'm not late!" the blonde shouted as he sat down on the other side of his pink-wearing friend.

"No, no you're not, Chester. Try not to make a habit of being late this year." the teacher responded.

Chester tried to steady his breath as the pink-clothed teen looked at him with an amused smirk. Chester leaned over and whispered in his friend's ear.

"So, Timmy, what do you have planned for your birthday?"

"Not much. Just a party at my house with some friends."

"Nothing big? Come on."

"Why do you care?"

"Because you're now one of the most popular kids in school, duh. Slugging some half-witted psycho on camera will do that."

"Like I ever cared about popularity contests. I'm just going to bring you and the rest of the gang along."

"Alright."

Before the pair could continue their conversation, their teacher coughed to get their attention.

"Chester Chesterton?"

"Here."

Mabel smirked to herself at the teen's silly name. "_His parents must not have been that original._ _Or perhaps they were original? Can't be many people with double names."_ Mabel thought to herself. She took her math book out of her backpack and laid it down on her desk. She sighed as she realized that Dipper wouldn't be able to help her anymore. Mabel hid her face by dropping it onto the book. After several seconds, she felt a finger poke in her side.

"Huh?" she muttered as she turned to look at Timmy. He pointed to the teacher, who was looking around the room.

"Mabel Pines?"

"Here." Mabel said. After Crocker moved on, Mabel turned to Timmy.

"How'd you know it was me?"

Timmy pointed to her backpack. It had the word "Mabel" in shiny, glittery letters glued over the front.

"Oh, thanks."

"No problem."

Mabel gave him a little smile, which Timmy returned before looking at his own book. Back in Piedmont, Dipper was haphazardly making his way through his morning history lesson, scribbling down notes in a random and chaotic fashion. His friend Chad, unfortunately, was sitting right next to him and had taken note of Dipper's behavior.

"You okay, bro?"

"I'm fine."

"Just, you seem really off."

"Yeah, with the divorce, it's just hard to think right now."

"I know what you mean. When my parents split I could barely count to two. It just sucks big time."

"Thanks for caring."

"Always."

Dipper sighed into his seat, his mind wandering aimlessly as the teacher rambled on about Ancient Rome. Mabel's early class periods went by clunky and broken; Crocker had somehow managed to make algebra seem even more boring than usual, his monotone voice only changing with a slight convulsion every other minute. Her second period class was just as awkward, sitting next to a talkative blonde that reminded her of a slightly more redneck Pacifica Northwest. The valley girl Veronica continually tried to strike up a conversation with the noiseless twin before giving up halfway through the class. Mabel came into the gym for her third period class. Several different courses were available, and Mabel signed up with the class that promised dancing lessons. She noticed that the pink-clad teen from earlier had signed up too. _"What was his name? Timmy Turner, that's it."_

Mabel made her way through the study hall next, a room filled with silent teens reading over their first assignments from their morning classes. Mabel sat down and tried to concentrate on her math assignment, but groaned before putting it away. A black, bald teen next to her whispered in her ear.

"If you want help, I work for the school part-time as a tutor."

"Thanks."

"Names A.J., by the way."

"Mabel."

Mabel heard a hush from the teacher up front; she shook the teenager's hand and returned to rustle through her backpack before picking out an issue of the Crimson Chin. She sighed as she started reading it, the first comic that Dipper and her read together. Mabel read through and, realizing that she still had thirty minutes before lunch, placed her head on the desk and drifted off into a half-sleep.

Dipper was in his gym class; his school didn't care much for a selective curriculum, instead focusing on what could be considered pre-boot camp. Dipper was running track. He felt the loss of Mabel, as she would always run with him on these days. Every little thing reminded him of their separation. He sighed as his pace slowly fell into a walk, the rest of the students passing him by as he fell behind.

Mabel heard the sound of the bell and moved her head up, looking around with drool hanging from her mouth as she returned to full consciousness. Mabel took her backpack and dropped it off in her locker before heading down into the cafeteria. Mabel lurched into the room. She picked up her lunch and walked around, before spotting an odd intermingled group. The gossipy upper-class blonde Veronica from earlier was chatting with the greasy haired Chester from her first period math. A.J. was sitting next to a similar sort, the kind of high-class person that doesn't usually enjoy the company of people out of their range. Timmy, an Indian teen, a nasally sounding teenager with a small boil forming, and a nerdy pigtailed girl were talking together. Timmy made eye contact and beckoned Mabel over. She took her seat opposite him and started picking at the mush on her plate.

"Hi Mabel."

"Hi." Mabel said before breaking eye contact.

"You okay?" Timmy asked worriedly.

"I'm fine. Just getting adjusted to my new life."

"Okay. Hope you feel better."

"Thanks." Mabel said with a small twinge of happiness.

Mabel mostly ignored the mindless chatter echoing around her, instead simply eating her food quickly before standing up to leave.

"Uh, wait." Timmy said.

"Yeah?"

"My friends and I are going to hang out after school at the Nasty Burger a couple blocks down. You want to come and join us?"

"…okay. What time?"

"About five o'clock."

Mabel nodded and walked off.

Dipper collapsed at his usual spot at the lunch table. He spoke lightly with his friends before they realized that he wasn't interested in chatting and started talking around him. Dipper noticed that Mabel's friends left a spot open at their table for his sister. Dipper sighed; every little thing reminded him of Mabel. His sister; his lover. He knew he was fucked up in the head, but the fact that his sister was equally wonky kept him sane. _"She's gone." _ Dipper thought before taking his tray away and chucking it in the trash, not interested in the food anymore.

Mabel made her way through the rest of the day, feeling a small twinge of happiness that she at least made new friends. Mabel walked outside and spotted her mother waiting for her. Mabel walked over with a somber step and got in the backseat. As the car sputtered on and moved away from the parking lot, Mabel noticed a fiery red haired female in a convertible pull up to the school. She had just enough time to notice the pink dot of Timmy run over and hop into the side. Mabel and her mother got back to their new home, a small apartment on the first floor of the East Dimmadome Apartments. Mabel got out and entered the living room through the patio and made her way into her room.

Dipper's ride home went poorly. His dad had come back to pick him up, not willing to let his son out of view for even a moment.

"My friends want to go hang out after school." Dipper said as he got in and tossed his backpack into the backseat.

"No." his dad replied sternly before driving away.

Mabel waited in her room doing homework silently until it was five. She walked out of her room and towards the patio before being stopped by her mother.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to go hang out with my new friends."

"What?"

"I made some new friends."

"Sweetie, I don't want you leaving the house right now."

Mabel's heart cracked again.

"I told them I would meet them at the Nasty Burger!"

"Mabel, no! I don't want you going out on your own right now."

Mabel curled her hands into fists before storming back into her room and slamming the door, locking it to maintain some sanctuary away from her mother's presence. Her mother walked by and sat down next to the door.

"Mabel, I'm sorry, but it's for your own good. You'll understand one day."

Her mother's pleas fell on deaf ears as Mabel buried her head into the pillow and cried. Over by the Nasty Burger, Timmy and his friends were hanging out and waiting for their new comrade to show up.

"You told her five o'clock, right Timmy?" Chester said.

"I did. Something must have come up."

"Oh well."

Timmy and his friends relaxed as they chatted the rest of the day away.

Mabel and Dipper confined themselves to their rooms. They both lay on the bed, the same feeling of loneliness and need carving its way into their hearts. Dipper silently turned into his pillow. He didn't feel angry anymore, and he was long past the point of sadness. He simply felt empty.

_Tuesday_

Dipper heard his alarm ring; he smacked it on the top to turn it off. His father and him repeated their pattern from the day before. They ate breakfast silently before his dad drove him to school. Dipper didn't bother hiding his hollowness in front of his friends this day.

"Hey." he muttered to them as he passed them into the school.

Mabel walked into her chair from before, right next to Timmy. He didn't say a word, the presence of their bizarre teacher keeping them hushed. Timmy looked at her, attempting to get a read on her emotions. He felt uneasiness in his stomach. He recognized the look on her face. It was the same blank gaze Timmy had when he would try to hide his emotions, burying them beneath a shell of indifference. Come that gym period, Timmy, Mabel, and the nerdy pigtailed Tootie had their dance uniforms on.

"Now class, we're going to be starting off with the basics. Everyone, partner up."

Tootie walked over and joined with Veronica while Timmy approached Mabel.

"So, you want to partner up?"

"Uh sure, Timmy." Mabel responded.

The two grouped together and formed their own small circle away from everyone.

"So Mabel…"

"Yes?"

"How come you didn't show?"

"Oh, um… something came up." Mabel mumbled out, the question catching her off guard.

"Okay." Timmy said, trying to figure out Mabel's real feelings.

"So, maybe we can try again today?" Timmy asked.

"I… um, I'll think about it." Mabel said awkwardly.

The pair moved through their beginners dance routine, Mabel trying to smother that small speck of hope she felt for wanting to hang out with her new friends. _"Mom's not going to let me go with them."_ She thought to herself. Sure enough, when the day was over, she spotted her mother waiting to drag her back to her home; or rather, her prison. But this time, before she could get in the car, Timmy came running up.

"So, I'll see you at five, right?" he said.

"Uh… y-yes." Mabel sputtered out.

"Great! Looking forward to it!" Timmy said as he walked off. Mabel got in the car and looked back, curious to the boy's strange nature. _"He probably just thinks I'm depressed or something."_ She thought as she spotted him getting in the vehicle with the redheaded girl. Mabel never saw her at school, but she heard several mutterings and whispers of a redhead called Vicky, the name seemingly being a boogieman to several of the students. Something about the name struck a familiar cord with her, but recent events buried whatever it was that she knew about that.

"So, who's that?" Mabel's mother asked with a peculiar voice, a tone that Mabel couldn't place.

"His name's Timmy." Mabel replied as the car drove away.

Mabel was still in her room when the time came to leave, focusing on finishing her math homework. Her mother walked up to the doorway.

"You know, I could drive you over to the Nasty Burger if you want."

Mabel glanced at her mother curiously before getting out of the bed.

"Really?"

"Yes. I shouldn't have kept you from your new friends yesterday. I'm sorry."

Mabel shrugged before closing the door and putting on some of her nicer clothes. Mabel met her mother outside before they got in the car. Mabel knew her mother was acting suspicious, but she would play dumb for the moment as it gave her the excuse to be away from her cage for a little while. Mabel stared out the windows of the car as it pulled over to the fast food joint. Mabel could spot Timmy, A.J., and Tootie inside laughing at Chester making obscene gestures with his hands. Mabel opened the car door and walked out, turning to give her mother a thankful bow before heading inside to join up with her new friends. As Mabel walked in, Timmy gave her a friendly wave.

"Hi, Mabel. Glad you could make it today."

"Me too, Timmy." Mabel said as she pulled a chair up to the group's booth.

Mabel silently watched the group as she tried to piece together her mother's behavior, only speaking up once to order her food. Her mother would have known that Mabel was probably telling the truth about having new friends the day before, but was simply unwilling to let her go. "_What changed? Why'd she let me go today?... Timmy came and asked about coming here. Maybe she did think I was lying? No, it was something else. She asked about Timmy. Does she?..._"

"Earth to Mabel." Chester said while waving his hand in her face.

Mabel shook herself from her thoughts and joined the group in conversation.

"Quit it, goofus." Mabel said as she playfully swatted Chester's hand away.

"So Mabel, where are you from?" A.J. asked.

"I'm from out west. My parents split, so my mom and I came out this way. My dad and brother are still at home though." Mabel said, finishing the sentence with a frown.

"That sucks. Most have been close." Tootie said.

"What'd you mean?"

"Close with your brother, I mean. You looked sad when you mentioned him. How is he?"

"He's fine. Haven't talked to him in a while. I should probably try and give him a call. Maybe I could borrow someone's cell?"

"Sure." Timmy said as he took out a glittery, pink mess of a phone, nearly identical to Mabel's old cellphone.

"What, that your girlfriend's phone?" Chester asked playfully.

"No." Timmy replied, ignoring his friend's joke. He handed the phone over to Mabel, who took it outside and tried to call Dipper's old cell phone. "_No answer._" She then tried calling the house; after several seconds, the phone was picked up and Mabel heard the familiar voice of her dad.

"Hello?" he asked from the other end of the line.

"Sorry, wrong number." Mabel said in a low, guttural growl that came out like a fifty year old with lung cancer on the other end. Mabel turned the phone off and walked back inside with a frown on her face.

"Call didn't go through." Mabel said as she handed the phone back to Timmy.

"Sorry, guess you could try again later." Timmy said as he took the phone back.

The group of friends went back to their random conversations.

"So Timmy, I notice you like pink a lot."

"Yep. You too, judging by the glittery clutter on your backpack."

"Of course! Pink is the only color that looks good enough to eat!" She said as she thought about delicious pink frosting and candy. She made a circular motion around her stomach as she remembered everything pink that you can eat._ "Cake, those little heart candies, strawberries._" She opened her eyes when the lighting changed, noticing the waitress setting down her plate of food. "_No pink._" She thought to herself, annoyed by the lack of color on her platter.

Back in Piedmont, Dipper was slowly making his way through Chinese takeout. He ate up in his room, away from the disgusted gaze of his father. He didn't feel hungry much anymore, only eating enough to ensure he wouldn't starve to death for the time being.

Mabel had finished chowing down on her food; despite being an atrocious liar, she had a far easier time covering how utterly broken she felt underneath. But she had the workings of a plan in her head, thinking of how to manipulate the situation in her favor. When she spotted her mother pulling up to the Nasty Burger, Mabel put her plan into action. She grabbed Timmy by the arm and dragged him out the door. She put on a cheery persona as she walked with him over to the vehicle. She gave him a light kiss on the cheek before pulling away and facing him. Mabel motioned her left hand to the side to wave goodbye to her friends, pausing in between to give Timmy a hushed finger on her lips as he stood there dumbfounded. Mabel got in her car and waved to Timmy.

"Why does this keep happening?" Timmy asked himself, amazed at his apparent irresistibility to the females in his life. As Mabel's mother drove away, she asked about her daughter's newfound friend.

"So, I take it you like him?"

"He's fine, I mean, it's not like we're boy-girl-friends or anything." Mabel said with a nervous chuckle, a manipulation to get her mother to loosen her iron grip. It seemed to be working; her mother relaxed into her seat, content that her daughter was finally piecing her life back together and oblivious to the fact that she was being played.

Back in Piedmont, Dipper had finished his meal and gone to bed, deciding that he was fine with the pattern that had developed between him and his father. Their relationship was beyond the point of being salvaged, so he might as well enjoy the long pauses in speaking by concentrating on his homework. Dipper tried to immerse himself in his work, but found that he didn't have the energy or desire to complete it. He walked over to his bed and lay down, deciding to sleep through the rest of the day.

In Dimmsdale, Mabel had gone into her room and put on one of her "happiness" shirts, the first time in months. It was all part of the ploy to influence her mother, and it was working; her mother was surprised and amazed at the cheerful façade that Mabel had constructed. Tomorrow, Mabel would try to find a way to contact Dipper.

_Wednesday_

Dipper woke up, he got dressed, he brushed his teeth, he ate breakfast. He was on auto-pilot, only half concentrating on the world around him as he continued his routine. He got in the car. He walked up to the school. He limply waved at his friends, ignoring their increasingly worried expressions as he made his way through the hallways. He tripped over someone's foot in the hall, ignoring their obscenities as he kept walking. He felt a tug on his shirt and was forced to face the source of the pattern breaker. He looked up to spot one of his personal bullies, a psycho that enjoyed causing pain to the Pines twins for the last two years of their life.

"Hey, Dipshit." He said mockingly

"Hey Jeff." Dipper said, uninterested in pursuing the conflict. As he tried to turn around, he felt Jeff drag him back to face him.

"The hell's with you, Dipshit?"

"Nothing." Dipper said emotionlessly. Jeff was getting annoyed; he didn't enjoy anyone disrespecting him, especially the Pines twins. Jeff then realized that Mabel was gone, not there to help her brother. Jeff sneered at Dipper.

"What's wrong, you're girlfriend dump you?"

"Fuck off." Dipper said as he jerked his arm away and turned around.

"Good for her, ditching a freak like you. Then again, you're both kind of freaks, aren't you?"

As Jeff closed his eyes to take pride in his taunting, Dipper turned around. Something snapped in him; he punched Jeff with all the force in his body, a jolt of pain snapping its way through his left hand and down his arm. Jeff smashed into the lockers and his body flopped to the floor. Dipper turned around and walked away, ignoring the ache in his arm and the developing commotion as he walked off to his morning class.

Mabel's day was going better, her new friends being small lights in the surrounding darkness of her heart. She met Timmy again in her third period dance class, who had some questions about her new behavior.

"So, are you trying to date me? Because I already have a girlfriend."

"No, it's just my mother wants to keep a closer eye on me. I figure if I put on a show of happiness, then maybe she'll let off some."

"Alright."

"By the way, who's your girlfriend?"

"Vicky Valentine's her name."

"Oh, she sounds sweet."

Timmy chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, that's what her parents probably had in mind when they named her."

"What do you mean?"

"Her sense of humor… tends to get a bit out of hand at times." Timmy said as he balanced on one foot.

Some other teen from across the way asked Timmy about his choice of a girlfriend.

"Vicky? As in, 'Vicky' Vicky?"

"Yes."

"Are you insane?!"

"Absolutely." Timmy responded proudly.

Mabel was trying to piece together where she heard that name before. Then it clicked. Dipper's friend Chad had moved out from Dimmsdale several years ago. He looked back fondly at most of his memories, but there were some that sent a cold chill down his spine whenever they surfaced. He had a babysitter named Vicky, a fiery red-haired psychopath that tormented Chad with threats of bizarre and macabre deaths. Axes, swords, poison, threats of fire and burning. She would lock them into their rooms while she set small fires outside of the door, just enough to let the smoke in slightly before dousing them. Dipper and Mabel, forever advocates of Bigfoot and UFOs, didn't even believe Chad at first. But whenever the subject came back up, even a year ago, he looked back on it with dread. Chad's personal boogieman was very real, and now Mabel was friends with her boyfriend. And Mabel had started up a fake relationship with him. Mabel suddenly shuttered, a strange eeriness coming over her, almost as if she could feel Vicky's presence looming behind her. She jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Uh, you okay?" Timmy asked.

"Uh,… I'm fine."

"Alright." Timmy said as he danced around.

"I was wondering. Maybe we could hang out after school?"

"Alright."

"I know you have a birthday coming up, and maybe I'll come over to your house and help plan."

"I'm not planning anything big."

Mabel let out an offended gasp.

"It's your birthday! You can't just leave it hanging in the wind. What if you regret that later?"

"I won't."

"Ugh, where's your passion?! Your sense of fun! Come on, I'll help you throw something spectacular. It'll be fun!"

"Okay." Timmy agreed. Mabel squealed with joy, half from helping her new friend and half for having some time away from her mother's shadow.

Dipper's day wasn't going as well as Mabel's; he slowly made his way through his classes, grouping up with Chad in the hallway as he made his way towards the exit.

"Are you sure you're okay, Dipper?"

"I'm fine."

"It's just, I don't want you… trying something dumb."

"I'm not killing myself."

"I didn't say that."

"You implied it. I'm not going to do something that dumb. I'll see you later."

Dipper made his way towards the exit, leaving Chad behind, and found himself ambushed by Jeff and his cronies.

"Going somewhere, Dipshit?"

"Fuck off."

Jeff forced Dipper back.

"What's wrong, Dipshit. Going to go home and cry about your girlfriend."

Dipper again tried to force his way through, but this time Jeff threw a punch at Dipper. Dipper took a fist to the jaw and toppled over. Jeff and his cronies started kicking Dipper in the chest before several old security guards came and forced them away, dragging them off to the principal's office. Dipper stood up and ignored the beating he just took and walked out, his physical pain feeling pointless and small.

Back in Dimmsdale Southern High, Mabel made her way to the exit and greeted Timmy with a beaming smile.

"So, pink boy, you ready to go have some fun?"

"Yes, my not-girlfriend Mabel."

Mabel and Timmy walked hand-in-hand out the door. Mabel spotted her mother before noticing the red-haired female in the convertible. She tightened her grip around Timmy's hand as the pair walked over to the vehicle. As they approached, Vicky came into view. She wore sunglasses over her head; she had dark red lipstick as she watched Mabel curiously, her deep pink eyes feeling like they could pierce into Mabel's soul. To maintain the charade of being Mabel's girlfriend, Timmy opened the door to the backseat and invited Mabel in.

"You know, twerp, if you're going to cheat on me then it's not the best idea to bring her along on the car ride." Vicky said casually.

"Vicky, this is my not-girlfriend Mabel."

"Your 'not-girlfriend?'" Vicky asked.

"Long story." Mabel replied.

"Basically, Mabel here helps plan my birthday party, and in return I help her cover story by pretending to be her sort of new boyfriend."

"What for?" Vicky questioned.

"It's a long story." Mabel said again. As Vicky drove Timmy and his curious new friend out of the line of cars, Mabel gave her mother a friendly smile as they left. Mabel's mother stared, dumbfounded, yet feeling a twinge of happiness. She drove home by herself, happy for her daughter's newfound joy.

Mabel watched as Vicky pulled up to Timmy's house and parked in the driveway. The group got out of the car and walked out. Vicky walked up to the doors and pulled out a key.

"So, is this your house?" Mabel asked.

"Yes." Timmy replied.

"Wait… you live together?"

"Vicky rents the guest room."

The group walked through and was greeted by the presence of Timmy's mother.

"Welcome home sweetie… And who's this?"

"This is Mabel. She's new in town and she offered to help me set up my birthday party."

"Oh, good! I could use some help." Timmy's mother said as she cheerfully wandered off.

"Ooh, look at those cute little fish!" Mabel said as she ran over to see Timmy's pets.

"Yeah; neat, huh?" Timmy said as he walked over.

"One has green eyes and the other has pink eyes. What're their names?"

"The green eyed one's Cosmo, and the other one's Wanda."

"How old are they?"

"Almost ten years."

"You're joking, right?"

"Nope. I knew them before I knew the rest of my friends. I used to think they were my guardian angels."

"That's so sweet!" Mabel said with a joyful squeal.

"Now, let's go to your room." Mabel said, returning to a serious tone.

Timmy and Vicky walked upstairs, beckoning Mabel to follow. Mabel walked into a blue room with a large HD T.V. and a well slept in bed, the sheets and pillows disorganized and tossed about. Vicky walked back out.

"Where are you going?" Mabel asked.

"Back to work. I got some paperwork to finish at my daycare. Try not to make out while I'm gone." Vicky said teasingly.

Timmy chuckled while he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. After Vicky left, Timmy turned his attention to his new friend.

"So, Mabel, what's the plan?"

Mabel put on her serious face. Planning parties, as any art form, was no laughing matter. She quickly took out several pieces of scrap paper from a folder in her backpack and made an outline of the backyard. She drew several different maps of the same area, drawing down random markings that made sense only in her head.

"Different ideas?" Timmy asked.

"Different times."

"What?"

"You can't just have one good thing happening. You need several!"

"I wasn't planning anything big."

Mabel blew a raspberry at Timmy as she put the finishing touches on the outline of her plan.

"So, Friday afternoon we'll spend setting everything up. I'll go buy an inflatable swimming pool tomorrow."

"What?!" Timmy asked, amazed.

"A swimming pool! Summer will be over soon and there's always that one last day of swimming people always miss. Well, I'm not going to allow that to happen to you, Mr. New Friend!"

Timmy simply rubbed the back of his head, astonished at how energetic Mabel was. _"Is this how she normally acts? She's like a runaway jackhammer."_

"The swimming pool will be set up at the start for when all your friends arrive at noon. At three o'clock, we'll order pizza. Then you can open presents. _Then we eat cake._" Mabel said as she rubbed her stomach.

"When we go out Thursday we'll buy plenty of stuff to shove down our bellies! Crackers, candy, chips and dip …. Dip." Mabel said, a twinge of sadness coming over her as she finished rambling.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. We're planning your day, no need to get down and gloomy!" Mabel said as her cheerful demeanor returned. Now, however, she was half-thinking on what her brother was doing.

Dipper was doing nothing and had been for quite some time. He was staring at the ceiling in his room, not caring about his homework anymore as he hummed his favorite song to himself.

"_Hmm, hmm girls do what we like. Hmm, hmm, taking over tonight."_

As Dipper sighed to himself, he heard the phone ringing downstairs. His father walked over and picked it up as Dipper listened intently.

"Hi… so, how's Mabel?... really?... that's good! I'm glad… yeah, he's fine... yeah, not much…"

Dipper lay in the bed, wondering just what the conversation downstairs was about. His questions were answered when his dad came walking up the stairs and looked into his room. Dipper looked at his father, who still had a layer of disgust and hate on his face.

"So what was that about?" Dipper asked.

"Mabel's doing fine. She's even got herself a new boyfriend." his dad said before walking away.

Dipper felt a dagger in his chest, the first real emotion in weeks.

_What? That can't be. We… I loved her. It must be some mistake. That must be it… but what if it's not? What if I did mess up her life?_

Dipper let out a puff of air, burying his feelings deep within his core, trying to maintain the urge to fight back even though he was now certain that he screwed everything up. He turned over in his bed and tried to fall asleep.

Back in Dimmsdale, Mabel had finished the outlines of her plan for Timmy's party.

"Just… thanks Mabel. I mean, damn, this is cool."

"I know, I am a genius." Mabel said with a dash of pride.

"So, we'll get the supplies tomorrow and start setting up on Friday. Sounds like a plan."

"Yep." Mabel said before she placed the mess of papers into a nice, neat pile.

"So, Timmy, I have to ask…"

"Yes?"

"Why are you dating Vicky?"

"Because I like her; why?"

"Well, back in my home town, one of my friends came from around here. He liked the old place, except he mentioned some evil ex-babysitter called Vicky. He was terrified; we half-thought he was making it up."

"We?"

"I… My brother and I." Mabel said as she rubbed her shoulders sadly.

"We thought our friend was making things up, but he always stuck to the same story. And now I find out Vicky's real?"

"Yeah, Vicky was kind of a prankster."

"Prankster? Chad said she threatened him with swords and poison and stuff! I'm pretty sure that's illegal in most states."

"Yeah, well… none of those weapons were real. Vicky showed me her collection one day and they're all dulled or lined with fake plastic to make them look sharp."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Yeah; I mean, I used to be one of the kids she watched. I forgave her a while ago, once I realized I wasn't in any real danger."

"Alright… you know, you're kind of odd, Timmy."

"You have no idea."

Mabel and Timmy snickered before Timmy asked some personal questions of his own.

"How is your brother?"

Mabel looked away, ashamed. She rubbed her shoulders again, the question piercing deep inside.

"I… I'm sorry I asked."

"Dipper's fine. He's… he's back home with dad." Mabel replied, obviously uncomfortable.

"Okay."

"Speaking of, I need to try and make a phone call."

Mabel walked out of the room and went downstairs. Timmy watched as she walked into the kitchen and dialed the phone. Several seconds later, Timmy heard the phone click and Mabel returned up the stairs, covering her sadness with a bright, big smile. Timmy returned the smile even though he knew something was wrong.

"Mabel, if there's anything you need, I'll be here for you. Just come and talk to me when you feel like."

"Thank you." Mabel replied, giving Timmy a hug.

"No problem."

"You wouldn't happen to know someone who uses carrier pigeons?"

"Uh, no not really."

"Well then, why don't you show me around?"

"What do you mean?"

"I want to see the house. All the nooks and crannies."

"Um, alright?" Timmy responded, not knowing how to deal with Mabel's strange desire.

Timmy took Mabel down into the basement, where she looked around and fiddled through boxes.

"Ooh, a karaoke machine!" Mabel said as she ran up to the dusty machine.

"Yeah, my parents bought it one year and never did anything with it."

"Well that's just silly." Mabel said with a grin, an idea forming in her head. Mabel looked around the room and, spotting nothing else of interest, walked towards the stairs.

"Now, let's see the attic."

"Um… why?"

"Because, the attic is where every family keeps the most fun stuff that they never look at again."

Timmy shrugged at Mabel's bizarre reasoning before taking her up the stairs and into the attic. Mabel looked around before spotting Christmas lights dangling out of a box. She ran up and gasped as she took out a line, estimating the length as she held the lights up to her eyes and giggled.

"I'm a bug."

Timmy laughed as Mabel set the lights back down. Mabel and Timmy walked down the steps and back into Timmy's room.

"So, now that you've seen everything that doesn't involve violating my family's privacy, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know, play some video games?"

"Okay. Single player or multiplayer?"

"Ah, let's go single player. You can start." Mabel said as she secretly reminisced about the games Dipper and her used to play.

After another hour, Mabel stood up and stretched.

"Well, I think I'll be heading back. Got's a lot of homework to get started on."

"Alright, I'll see you later."

Mabel walked down the stairs and spotted Vicky flipping channels in the living room.

"Need a ride?" Vicky asked.

"Okey-doke." Mabel replied in a sing-song voice as she skipped over to the door. The pair walked over to Vicky's car and got in. After several minutes of silence, Mabel finally spoke to the imposing figure next to her.

"So, you ever watched a kid named Chad?"

"I think so. Weird kid; liked to keep crickets as pets. He moved out about six years ago…"

Vicky smirked.

"Hold on, do you know Chad? How is the little weirdo?"

"He's fine. He mentioned you a bit."

"Really? What'd he say?"

"That you were a complete and utter monster."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Vicky said as she pulled up to Mabel's apartment.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow." Mabel said as she waved to the frightening redhead.

Mabel walked inside and greeted her mother with a hug.

"How'd it go?"

"Great! Timmy's party is going to be da bomb!" Mabel said with a fist-bump.

"That's great, sweetie. I hope you like your new friend."

"Yeah, he's pretty fun to hang out with." Mabel said with a flick of her wrist.

"Now, I need to get started on my math homework."

Mabel walked into her room and closed the door before taking out her algebra book and her folders. Mabel took a small photo out of her pockets; a picture of Dipper and Mabel, smiling and holding hands. This small piece of home kept Mabel going through the months she was separated. She clung to it before hiding it under her bed and getting to work on her homework.

Back in Piedmont, Dipper had already fallen asleep. He dreamed of happier days. Exploring the forests of Gravity Falls with his sister, looking for signs of supernatural occurrences. His mind shifted into the Mystery Shack, alone at night with Mabel. His dreams morphed different eras together as Dipper shut off the lights and kissed Mabel tenderly, the two lovers bound together as they stripped off. But Dipper's dream faded, the last sound being Mabel's voice saying "I love you." Dipper awoke; it was nighttime and the lights were off in the house. Dipper looked at the clock.

1:04 A.M.

Dipper got out of the bed and made his way into the bathroom. After finishing up, he walked down the stairs and took out a small flashlight. He looked at the answering machine, stripped of the phone; his father had taken it upstairs during the night. Dipper tried to check the caller I.D. for the last message, but found that all the calls were deleted. Dipper fumbled his way back up the stairs and into his bed before shutting the door.

_Thursday_

Mabel awoke with a bittersweet ache in her chest. She had dreamt that she was back in Gravity Falls with Dipper, exploring the forests and looking for Bigfoot. The chaotic dreamscape took them back into the attic of the Mystery Shack, where Dipper and her had begun kissing passionately, the only sound being their moans and whispers of love. Mabel's dream ended and Dipper faded, his last words being "I love you."

Mabel rubbed the crud from her eyes and got dressed, putting on a long, wavy skirt that gave Mabel the appearance of a blue flower. Mabel snuck the photo of Dipper out of her mattress and tucked it into her backpack before coming out of her room. She greeted her mother over at the breakfast table.

"So, Mabel… I had a talk with your father."

"What? What's going on?" Mabel asked, covering the hope in her heart with the dreariness of waking up.

"Not much. He's glad you're doing better."

As the pair chewed their way through breakfast, Mabel focused on her plans for Timmy's birthday party to bring her mind out of the darkness.

Mabel rubbed her stomach contently as she thought about the strawberry flavored mess she had planned to bake for Timmy. Mabel took the last bite of her pancakes, savoring the sweet, sugary flavor for the last time she'd have it today.

"_Although, there's no law against pancakes for dinner!"_ Mabel thought to herself with a laugh.

Dipper's day started with another whimper. He forced his breakfast down his throat, not fully enjoying the taste from the eggs and toast his dad made for the two of them. _"Dad's always been a lousy cook."_ Dipper thought to himself.

He packed his bags, made his way to the car, or as he had taken to sarcastically calling it in his thoughts, Prisoner transportation. Dipper stepped out of the car, taken from one prison to another, the crappy school without decent internet access or cell reception and parental controls that bordered on paranoia. Dipper walked up the steps to greet his worried friend.

"Yo Dipper, you need anything?"

"Not unless you have cake. I want cake for some reason."

Dipper ignored the rest of Chad's pleadings and attempts at conversation while he walked through his morning classes. Back home his dad was wandering through the house before he left for his new part-time job, his old one incompatible with his schedule of looming over his son's every waking moment and movement. Before he walked out the door, he heard the phone ring. The older Pines approached and picked it up, surprised by the voice of his uncle.

"Oh, hi Stan. Why're you calling?"

"I needed to talk to Mabel and I didn't know the phone number."

"Why?"

"Her pet pig over here is sick. Really sick. I thought she'd want to maybe hear the little fellow oink one last time."

"Okay, you can call them at 209-555-0671. Mabel has school so she won't be available until later."

"Thanks. I'll keep in touch." Stan said as he hung up the phone. Stan sighed into the side of his car and looked down at Waddles, who gave Stan a healthy, happy squeal as he jumped at Stan. Stan took the pig in his arms and cuddled the pink, pale blob while trying to figure out the best time to call Mabel and her mother.

"You know, Waddles, this whole forbidden romance thing is too much for an old man to take. You're lucky you're too dumb to care."

The pig gave a friendly oink.

"Oh, yes you are stupid! Yes you are! The most adorable idiot there is!" Stan said as he rubbed the pig's belly playfully.

Back in Dimmsdale, Mabel was working on her algebra homework with A.J. during the study period. She was listening to him attempt to explain the principles of Mabel's assignment. She was trying and failing to understand him, his teaching abilities only somewhat better than Dipper's at putting the thoughts from his number powered brain into words that resembled English.

"So… I carry the four, and then I can solve for x?"

"Yes! See, you can do it." A.J. replied happily.

"You like this teaching stuff, don't you?"

"I do. I'm wondering if I should get into it."

"You need to work on translating computer into human first, but after that I think you'd be a great teacher." Mabel complimented.

"Thanks. My dad wants me to get into engineering and move out, but I'd like to do stuff closer to home."

"Why's that?"

"My girlfriend's staying here to go to college, and I've realized that there are more important things in life than _this._" A.J. said as he motioned his arms around the pile of papers and books that Mabel and him had out.

"That's right." Mabel stated matter-of-factly.

"So, is there anyone you like a lot?" A.J. asked. Mabel looked down sadly.

"There was someone back home."

"Who was it?"

"…Billy Snyder."

"What was he like?"

"He was… was kind of like you. He had this amazing, crazy math brain that I could never figure out. And he loved the paranormal stuff. We loved investigating stupid, fun supernatural things together."

"Ever find any proof?"

"No, nothing real, although we did make up some fun stories to tell each other in the summer."

"Like what?"

"Some ancient conspiracy involving time travel, evil twins, and the creepy pyramid eyeball."

"That insignia on the dollar bill?"

"Yeah, that one! We called it Bill Cipher, some evil alien god coming to destroy the world." Mabel said as she remembered her and Dipper's story.

"Of course, it was up to us to stop him!" Mabel shouted heroically, eliciting a hush from the librarian.

"Big imagination you have. You should write it all down; maybe turn it into a bestselling book or something."

"I was never the big writer; that was Di- I mean Billy."

A.J. gave Mabel a puzzled look at her slip up before he noticed Trixie walk into the library. She gave A.J. a devious wink. _"The 'let's make out in the parking lot behind the school before lunch' wink."_ A.J. thought to himself. A.J. found himself getting nervous, short-circuiting his brain into overdrive mode.

"Mabel do you have the rest of this covered?" A.J. asked robotically.

"Yeah, I'm good. I'll see you tomorrow; same time?"

"Of course!" A.J. shouted far too cheerfully, trying to cover up for his earlier monotone voice and earning another hush from the librarian.

A.J. and Mabel stood up and went their separate ways. A.J. started walking over to Trixie.

_I have an estimated twenty-three seconds before I meet her and she can stop this stupid robot brain of mine from overkilling. Try not to think about how Mabel was obviously lying about Billy Snyder, the name being based on Bill Cipher. But that doesn't matter, because it's obviously her privacy and you shouldn't violate it with your stupid robot brain. How much longer? Alright, I have twenty two seconds. Why do I always think faster when I'm nervous? Why can't time pass normally during these random bouts of craziness? And don't think about the fact that Mabel was lying to cover up her real lover's name, nor the fact that she was obviously very close to him. How much time do I have? Twenty seconds. Fuck my life. At least I'm doing better than Mabel is, as she's using her bubbly goofy personality to cover up her sadness. There you go again, brain. Stop that. What does it matter that Billy was obviously a very close childhood friend? Why should you care that she's probably in love with someone older than her? Because that's not true. Not-Billy didn't sound like how an older man behaved, and they spent some time together in the summer thinking up childish stories, so they've obviously been together for a while. How much time? Nineteen seconds. I'm done; just go through your favorite lists. How about all the math wizards I curb-stomped over the years? Alfred Anderson Bill Abernathy Thomas Atkinson Jeff Armstrong…_

Trixie was waiting for A.J. to make his way over. He had that nervous robotic glare that she always found adorable.

_Fifteen seconds. Kacy Daniels Joey Davies Albert Dean Tim Deeley…_

A.J. kept walking; he was more than half-way there when he reached the P's.

_I have seven seconds. Daniel Peterson John Patel Alfred Parker Joseph Pearson John Phillips Johnny Pickett Penny Pinder Dipper Pines. Huh, that's Mabel's last name. I wonder if they're related. He is from Piedmont where Mabel grew up and he looks a bit like her. I wonder why she didn't want me to know the name of her boyfriend? That's not important just drop it A.J. I mean, what does it matter what not-Billy's name is? All I know is it starts with Di…_

Trixie watched as A.J. expression distorted into a bizarre combination of emotions; he finally made his way over to Trixie, his eye twitching sporadically.

"Um, are you okay A.J.?" Trixie asked worriedly.

"I am fine." A.J. answered with a monotone whisper.

"Now would you excuse me for a moment?" A.J. murmured mechanically as he placed his backpack on the table. A.J. unzipped the side and took out a large history textbook and took it up to his face, and then smashed his head into the book's hard coating several times.

"What are you doing?!" Trixie asked worriedly. The sound was enough to attract the attention of several other students and elicit a hush from the librarian. A.J. slid the book off his face and returned it to his backpack.

"Sorry about that." he replied in his usual voice.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, perfectly, my brain has turned off and has retreated into its shell at the sign of physical pain."

A.J. took Trixie's hand in his own and smiled, settling her worried expression.

"So, behind the school?" A.J. said.

"Where else?" Trixie replied as the pair walked away.

In Piedmont, Dipper was moving through his fourth day of school like a dark specter, ignoring the world around him as it in turn ignored him. Dipper passed by a couple of stoners as he walked towards the exit.

"Dude, so, like, behind the school?"

"Where else, bro?"

Dipper chuckled to himself at the absurd duo as he walked out the doors and got in his dad's car, ready for another long night of silence.

Mabel had jumped into the backseat of Vicky's car with Timmy as the three drove off. This day, Mabel's mother didn't bother to show up to pick her daughter up. Mabel's mother came home and found that there were several missed calls on the answering machine. She pressed the button on the machine and heard a familiar voice at the other end.

"Hey, it's Stan. I've been needing to talk to Mabel. That pet pig of hers is getting sick and I don't know if he'll make it. Call me back when you get the chance."

Mabel's mother felt her heart falter. Mabel was always an emotional one, and her mother didn't know how Mabel was going to handle the news. Mabel was preoccupied with her new friends buying supplies for the party. She crossed off an item on her list.

"Inflatable pool, check."

Timmy, Vicky, and Mabel made their way to the checkout. Vicky then drove Mabel and Timmy over to the grocery store. Mabel jumped out of the side of the car and dashed in. Timmy and Vicky followed and as they walked in, Mabel was already racing down the aisles buying the necessities.

"How are we going to pay for all this?" Timmy asked.

"I can pay." Vicky responded as she looked around.

Mabel returned in several minutes with a cart filled with paper plates, cups, several different chips, dip, several gallons of milk, sugar, flour, eggs, and bottles of soda.

"Snacks, check! Cake parts, check!" Mabel said as she pulled out her list and marked off another box.

"Are we really going to need all that?" Timmy asked.

"Of course!" Mabel said.

"Now all we need is some… _supplies._" Mabel said with a hint of dark glee.

Vicky gave Mabel a smirk of approval.

"Uh, what do you mean by supplies?" Timmy asked.

"Vicky, I'll need you to take Timmy home. I'll need to borrow a cell phone so I can call my mom to pick me up."

Vicky shrugged indifferently as she walked out the door.

"Are you going to be alright Mabel?" Timmy asked as he handed off his cellphone.

"I'll be fine." Mabel said with a dismissive hand wave.

"Now go on. We can't have you spying on the surprise part of the party, now can we?"

Timmy nodded as he left the store. Once Vicky and Timmy drove off, Mabel called her mother.

"Hey mom. I need you to come pick me up. I'm at the Diamond Ozco at 23rd Fleet Street."

Mabel waited outside while humming the Lamby song and thinking about Dipper. Once her mother arrived, Mabel got in the car. She noticed that her mother had a worried expression on her face.

"Mom, is something wrong?"

"Yes, its… let's go home, first, okay?"

"I need to head over to Roseanne Fabrics first."

Mabel's mother complied with her daughter's desire to help her new friend. The last thing Mabel's mother wanted to do was hurt Mabel in her apparent emotional state. Mabel and her mother walked into the store as Mabel dashed around with a cart, blazing through the aisles as if she was afraid of Earth's orbit leaving her behind to fly through the wall. Mabel's pleading puppy eyes convinced her mother to buy the assortment of strange items that only Mabel knew the purpose of.

After Mabel and her mother had returned to their apartment and dropped off the bits and pieces of Mabel's plan for Timmy, Mabel finally confronted her mother about her anxiousness.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

Before she could answer, the phone rang. Mabel's mother walked over and picked it up. She closed her eyes in pain as she handed the phone over to Mabel.

"Hello?" Mabel said fearfully.

"It's Stan. Mabel… I don't know how to say this, but Waddles isn't doing too well."

"…what?" Mabel muttered through the phone as tears formed in her eyes.

"Yeah… it's just, I wanted to know if you wanted to hear his voice again."

"Put him on." Mabel said with a sniffle as she turned away from her mother.

As Mabel listened intently, she heard Waddles oinking on the other end. Something was off, though; Waddles sounded perfectly alright.

"Yeah, it's just, Waddles has been missing you and he wanted to hear your voice again."

Mabel's continued crying, but she was wondering why Stan was acting odd.

"What's happening?" Mabel asked her great uncle.

"Not much… so, your mother is still listening, right?"

"No."

"Okay, now I want you to do something very strange that isn't going to make sense at first. I want you to storm off into your room like the world has just ended. You know, like if Waddles was really sick and about to die screaming horribly as someone sawed him up."

Stan's morbid description brought more tears to Mabel's eyes. Mabel followed Stan's strange request as she stormed into her room and shut the door, locking her mother out.

"What are you doing?" Mabel whispered accusingly as she cried.

"Doesn't matter what I'm doing. I want to know what _you're_ doing, Mabel."

"Huh?" Mabel asked.

"I was just wondering where you are? I never did get a clear answer out of your parents about where you got dragged off to."

"I'm in Dimmsdale."

"Okay. Now, you wouldn't happen to know you're exact address, would you?"

"We live at 109 at the East Dimmadome Apartments." Mabel said with a whisper, noticing her mother's shadow on the other side of the door.

"Neat. Fascinating. Now if you'll excuse me, I have something incredibly fucking stupid I have to do. I'll see you around Mabel. Love you."

As Stan turned off the phone, he stood out of his car and stretched his legs. He left Waddles in the front seat as he walked around the block. He took a left turn and walked over to the steps of the Piedmont California East High School. Stan took out a piece of blue chalk and began drawing on the steps to the building. He drew down, left, then up into a triangle. Stan then drew an eye in the center of the triangle before turning to draw a small pine tree next to it, aiming it towards the parking lot at the back like an arrow.

"_Some security jackass better not come and scrub that off or I'll be fucking pissed."_ Stan thought to himself.

Stan walked back over to the car and got in, adjusting his mirrors before he drove off towards a fast food joint.

"Yeah, can I get a double cheeseburger with the works?"

"I'm sorry, sir?"

"You know, pickles, lettuce, tomato, mustard, and ketchup?"

"Oh, alright, right away sir. Anything else?"

"Yeah, I'll need a salad to go with that."

"What kind, sir?"

"Just a salad, I don't care. Just make sure it doesn't have any pork in it."

"Okay, sir, that'll be $3.99."

"Kids these days." Stan muttered to himself as he drove up to the window. The cashier looked out and stared at the pig blankly.

"What, you never see a guy with a pig before?"

The cashier shook his head as he took a five dollar bill from Stan. He returned several seconds later with change and Stan's meal. As Stan drove away, he conversed with his partner in crime.

"So, Waddles, how's California?"

Waddles oinked at his part-time owner.

"Yeah, it's a bit overrated."

Stan pulled up into a parking lot and took the salad out of the bag. He took the lid off and gave the mess of lettuce, cheese, and turkey to his wiggly friend. The pig oinked happily as he scuffed down his dinner. Stan took out his burger and started eating.

"You know something… I like you Waddles… but I know you'd rather be with Mabel… I'll try to find a way to get you back to her."

As Stan and Waddles finished their meal, Stan gathered the garbage up and tossed it in the backseat. Stan pulled his seat back and stared up at the ceiling.

"You ever wonder if there's a heaven, Waddles?"

Waddles squealed.

"Yeah, I never really believed in that crap either. But if there is, and with all the crap I've done to earn my place down below, do you think this'll count as a good deed? Or does upstairs frown on this whole forbidden lust thing?"

Waddles curled up in a ball and oinked contently.

"Yeah, I suppose your right. Well, goodnight Waddles. Need to be up early, so get some sleep."

Stan turned over and closed his eyes, falling asleep just as the sun was setting.

_Friday_

The alarm shrieked in Dipper's ear. He moved his hand to the side and lazily turned the whining device off before pulling himself out of the bed. Dipper wandered into the bathroom and brushed his teeth.

"_Is it Friday already? It still feels like any other day. Then again, these days everything feels like the same; like shit."_

Dipper turned to the spot that Mabel used to take when she joined him.

"_Mabel would have laughed at that. I miss that laugh."_

Dipper spit out the toothpaste and rinsed his mouth. Dipper walked down the stairs and joined his silent father at the breakfast table. Dipper stared his father down with a bored look, long past the point of showing any emotion. Dipper's dad turned and shifted his gaze, his son's unyielding, detached gaze proving to be more unsettling than anything else. Dipper finished his meal before he walked back upstairs and finished getting dressed. Dipper came back down the stairs and walked over to his dad's car, getting into the passenger seat and gazing vacantly out the window. His dad walked over and got in the car and started driving Dipper to school. Dipper started whistling the Lamby song on the way there.

"Stop that." Dipper's dad demanded.

Dipper just kept whistling.

"Dipper, stop that!"

Dipper whistled louder before his dad shoved his head.

"Stop that, you fucking freak!" his dad shouted. Dipper turned and looked at his dad with the same blank face he now wore in every moment.

His dad came to a red light and looked at his son, instinctively moving away as his son stared at him with deadened eyes. Dipper simply started whistling again, figuring he might as well find some way to entertain himself. As the light turned green, Dipper's dad faced the road and started driving again, with only a quick unnerved glance at his son, who simply kept whistling the high-pitched tune. As his dad pulled up to the school, Dipper stood out of the vehicle and walked towards the entrance, glazing down at the steps. He paused for a split second, observing the sign. The Eye of Providence was looking back at him and right beside it was a tree. A pine tree, the same symbol on the hat he used to wear, pointing to the left into the parking lot. Dipper walked into the school, passing by his friends rapidly and ignoring their greetings. Dipper took a hard left in the main hall and walked down to the side entrance that left into the parking lot. Dipper walked past Jeff, ignoring the bully's demeaning words. Dipper approached the door and exited the building. Another mark, a tree pointing to a row of cars. Dipper walked out with haste, feeling something besides pain for the first time in two weeks.

"_Please. Please. Please."_ Dipper hoped to himself as he walked down the row of vehicles. He stopped in front of a black sedan, looking in and spotting a familiar, hardened face.

"Grunkle Stan?" Dipper muttered.

Dipper's great uncle stood out of the car and walked up to his nephew.

"Jesus, Dipper. You look like shit."

"What else is new?"

"No, you _really_ look like shit. And here I thought Mabel was the needy one."

"I know. So, what brings you down here?" Dipper asked as he scratched his head.

"Well, it seems I sleep walked over and rented a car, kidnapped Waddles, and drove all the way down here. Luckily I bought a ticket back to Oregon just in case this situation occurred. Be a pal and drive your old, age addled great uncle to the airport, please?"

Dipper started tearing up as he pulled Stan into a hug.

"Thanks." Dipper muttered into Stan's shoulder, who gave Dipper an awkward pat on the back.

Dipper moved aside and allowed Stan to walk over and enter the side seat. As Dipper moved into the driver's seat, he noticed that Stan really did bring Waddles along.

"So, why's Waddles here?" Dipper asked as he adjusted the mirrors.

"I figured I needed an excuse to get Mabel's phone and address, so I told them Waddles was dying."

"What? You could have just said you wanted to check up on Mabel."

Stan gave Dipper an insulting look before Dipper realized how unusual that would seem. Grunkle Stan was always a cold person.

"Yeah, it's probably better that you lied. So, which airport are you going too?"

"Oakland International. I have a ticket for twelve o'clock, so let's get going."

Dipper drove out of the parking lot and headed for the airport.

Back in Dimmsdale, Mabel was in her dancing class with Timmy. Both of them proved to be fast learners, going through the motions as they talked about Mabel's plans for Timmy's party.

"So, I'll come over today and help set things up." Timmy said.

"No, no, no! You can't be helping, it's _your_ birthday!" Mabel stated seriously.

"Alright, but it's at my house. What am I going to do for the time?"

"I don't know; maybe take Vicky out on a nice date. Just don't get back until the evening."

"Alright. I'll take Vicky to a movie and dinner. Don't get too crazy while I'm gone, though."

"I won't." Mabel said earnestly, even though her definition of "normal" was most people's definition of "running the asylum."

"So, what movie are you going to see?"

"I don't know, there's that new romantic comedy coming out."

"I didn't take Vicky for the romantic type."

"She isn't, but I am."

"Yeah, neither was… ah, it doesn't matter."

"Alright." Timmy said, holding back the questions about the strange girl that had been at the back of his mind for the past several days.

Back west, Dipper had pulled up to the airport. Stan took a cage out of the back and scooted Waddles in.

"I'll see you around, Stan."

"Bye. Make sure to ditch the car; I could only afford three days on the rental."

Dipper watched as Stan wandered into the airport before driving away.

"_Dimmsdale. I should be there in about four hours if the traffic's good. I hope Mabel's alright…"_

"… _I hope Dipper's alright."_ Mabel thought to herself as she left the building. Mabel walked up to her mother's car and got in, waving bye to Timmy as his girlfriend pulled up.

"Who is that?" Mabel's mother asked.

"Who?"

"The redhead."

"That's his older sister. But that's beside the point. Let's go home and get the rest of the supplies for Timmy's birthday. Then you can drop me off by his house so I can set everything up."

Mabel and her mother walked into the house. Mable's mother went over to the bathroom while Mabel took the secret accessories and the pictures she was working on out of the closet in her room and started carrying them to the car. Mabel paused when she heard the phone ring. Mabel hurriedly picked it up, hoping for Stan or even Dipper. Instead she was greeted to the sounds of her father swearing up a storm on the other end of the line.

"The shit fucking ditched! He's fucking gone! The little freak ran off!"

Mabel turned the phone off, unwilling to deal with her father's ramblings and insults.

"_Dipper's not a freak."_ Mabel thought to herself with a pout. As the phone started to ring again, Mabel picked it up and removed the batteries. She put them back in upside down and then unplugged the line just to give herself a little more time without her mother breathing down her neck.

"Was that the phone dear?" Mabel's mother asked as she walked out of the bathroom.

"Yeah, some telemarketer." Mabel responded as she chugged her bags out the door.

"Alright. Well, I need to call your father before we leave."

"What? But we have to get set up! Come on; just drop me off at Timmy's house! We don't have a lot of time before he'll be back!"

"Okay, okay. I'll drop you off at his house. I see he means a lot to you."

"Yeah." Mabel said as she looked down and chuckled, a false embarrassment leading her mother further away from the truth.

Mabel and her mother packed the supplies into the car and drove off to Timmy's house.

Farther west, Dipper was stuck in traffic, impatiently bobbing his head against the steering wheel as he waited for the line of cars to move another foot.

"Ugh, just a little longer, Dipper. This can't be too long."

Dipper let the car stay in neutral as it moved several feet up before he pressed the brakes again.

"Fuck." Dipper moaned to himself.

Back in Dimmsdale, Mabel was dropped off in front of the Turner's residence. Mabel ran up to greet Tootie, Chester, A.J., and Timmy's mother as her own mother took the party items out of the backseat.

"So, where should I drop these off?"

"In the backyard is fine." Mabel replied as her mother walked off.

"So, what's the plan?" Tootie asked.

Mabel motioned her group of helpers around the side and towards the backyard. Mabel began shouting orders to her workers as she played a drumming beat in her head. "_I'm a drill sergeant! Ten hut!_"

"A.J., get started on the lights."

"What lights?"

"Birthday lights! You can substitute Christmas lights if you don't have any birthday lights." Mabel said as she placed a large white board on the ground.

"This is stupid." Chester said. Mabel glared daggers at him, a look that reminded the blonde teen of his babysitter. He let out a noticeable gulp.

"Tootie and Chester, I need you to get the music set up. I spotted an old karaoke machine in the basement on Wednesday, and we'll need it and a radio. Mrs. Turner, bring out some tables and start setting them up in the corner."

Mabel followed the group into the house and split up from them. A.J. walked up the stairs to go dig in the attic for the Christmas lights, Chester and Tootie walked down into the basement to chug up the karaoke machine, and Timmy's mother wandered into the garage to get several tables to set up outside. Mabel dug through the kitchen cabinet as Timmy's dad watched curiously.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he drank a glass of water.

"Looking for scissors, and a hammer, and some glue."

"Well, check the bottom draw for the scissors, and we've got some tools out in the garage."

"Thanks!" Mabel shouted as she took the pair of scissors out before dashing towards the garage. Mabel came running back, nearly bumping into Timmy's mother as she hurried back outside. The energized teen took out a large roll of pink paper and started spreading it out.

"What're you doing?" Chester said as Tootie and him dragged the karaoke machine out the door.

"I'm creating, now hush. An artist is not to be disturbed at her work." Mabel said as she took the wooden board and started hammering it to the two stakes.

"Now, put the karaoke machine in the left corner."

Chester and Tootie obeyed Mabel's new drill sergeant persona. Timmy's mother came out of the door with several tables followed by A.J. carrying several dozen feet of Christmas lights.

"A.J., start lining the yard with the lights. We need a nice, big square, going all around, then leading out to the side into the front yard."

"Okay."

"Timmy's mom…" Mabel said

"Yes?"

"Keep being awesome." Mabel said with a grin.

Timmy's mother giggled at the flattery before beginning to set up the tables around the lawn.

A mile away, Timmy and Vicky were watching the newest romantic comedy, A Tale of Two Ladies. Timmy was lightly sniffling at the scene where the two leads nearly break up while Vicky looked around, embarrassed and trying to see if she needed to hide from anyone she knew from work. Spotting no one, she relaxed into her seat and held her emotive lover close.

Back at Timmy's house, Mabel was placing dabs of glue under a large pink sheet before delicately placing it over the board. As Mabel stood up to let the glue dry, she walked over to the tables and started adjusting their positions until they matched her mind's image. Then she walked around the yard, making sure that the Christmas lights were evenly laid out.

"Ah, perfection." Mabel said with an aura of pride.

"Now what?" Chester asked.

"Now, we need to get started on the birthday cake. So, Mrs. Turner, shall we go?"

Mrs. Turner walked into the house to start preparing the items while A.J., Chester, and Tootie waited outside.

"Uh, and what are we going to do?" Chester asked.

"A.J., get everything plugged in and ready for Timmy to get back. Chester and Tootie, do the pre-birthday dance."

"Uh, what's the pre-birthday dance?" Tootie asked.

Mabel shrugged as she walked inside to help make the birthday cake.

"That is a very strange person." Chester said.

"Well, she'll fit right in." Tootie jested.

Mabel stuck her head out of the kitchen and looked at the pair.

"I don't see you two doing the pre-birthday dance." Mabel said in an offended tone.

Chester and Tootie started awkwardly shifting their legs up and down as A.J. walked over, having finished plugging in the karaoke machine and the Christmas lights.

"Ah, what are you two doing?"

"The pre-birthday dance." Tootie responded.

"Why?"

"Because Mabel told us to."

"I see." A.J. responded before joining in the awkward shuffling.

After several minutes, Mabel returned, walking over to the wooden board on the grass. Mabel lightly shooed off several bugs before she took out her art supplies and got to work on the board.

"So, what's the sign for?" A.J. asked

"It's the entrance."

"The entrance?"

"The party entrance, silly. Why else would we need the birthday lights going into the front?"

Several miles away, Vicky and Timmy were having a romantic, candlelit dinner.

"So, enjoying the night so far?" Vicky asked.

"Yeah, it's pretty great. Thanks for taking me."

"Well, your birthday is coming up. Why shouldn't I indulge my favorite twerp?"

"So, you want to split dessert?"

"Nah, I'm getting full." Vicky said as she poked the remains of her meal, lying to cover for one of Mabel's surprises.

"It's going to be night soon. I wonder what Mabel's got planned."

"No idea." Vicky lied again.

"What's her deal, anyways?" Vicky asked.

"Don't know, but I think she's using the party as an excuse to escape. Don't know what from, besides the divorce."

"That sucks."

"I know. It must've really hit her hard."

Back at Timmy's house, Mabel and her new friends were sitting down, exhausted as they took in the sight of Mabel's mad design.

"You know, I thought this was going to be stupid, but I got to say, it's pretty damn cool." Chester said as he looked around the area.

"Nobody appreciates genius until they see it themselves." Mabel said.

"Cakes ready!" Timmy's mother shouted from inside.

Mabel ran off to help Timmy's mother bring the cake outside.

"Nothing beats a pre-birthday cake." Mabel said as she carried the pink, strawberry covered mess out onto a table in the middle of the party area.

After several minutes, Vicky pulled up to the house. Timmy's jaw was agape. The Christmas lights lined the way towards the backyard, and there was a large sign covered in glitter that shined with the lights on the ground. "Timmy's Birthday Bonanza!" was painted in a deep blue on the sign.

"Surprise." Vicky said with a smirk.

Timmy and Vicky walked out of the car and through the entrance and came upon Timmy's friends and parents waiting outside with a cake. The fence was lined with large pictures, all based on Timmy's personality. Two lovers, an angel with sky blue eyes and a fiery haired demoness, dancing together in a ballroom. Another one shown Dolphins jumping out of the light blue waves as clouds hung overhead. And another showed Timmy beckoning a lonely shade into a crowd of Timmy's friends and away from a dark abyss. The final picture was the largest; it had two guardians watching over Timmy, a pink-eyed and green-eyed pair of angels. Each picture was drawing in expert detail, not a line or color out of place.

"Happy pre-birthday!" The group shouted.

"Wh-what?" Timmy said with a light chuckle.

"It's your pre-birthday!" Mabel shouted as she got up.

"Do you like what I've done with the place?" Mabel said with a twirl.

"I love it. It's freaking awesome." Timmy said astonished.

"So… cake?" Chester asked.

"Not until we sing the pre-birthday song." Mabel said.

"We're really going to sing that?"

"Yes." Mabel said commandingly.

Timmy's friends and parents took out several sheets of paper and cleared their throats as Timmy smiled goofily.

"Hey Timmy Turner, it's a very special day!  
>Because come tomorrow, it will be your birthday!<br>So come on Timmy Turner, don't procrastinate!  
>Get up off your lazy butt and help us celebrate!"<p>

A tear formed in Timmy's eye as he ran over and hugged the group. Mabel's cheerful lunacy, coupled with Timmy's joy, even managed to pierce Vicky's cold shell. She shed a single tear before she flicked it away and walked over to sit down with Timmy. Timmy's mother took out a knife and cut into the cake.

"So, I guess we're eating the cake today." Timmy said.

"And tomorrow. This is just the pre-birthday cake." Mabel said.

"There's another cake?" Timmy asked with a shock. He simply couldn't believe how much effort his friends put into this.

"Yeah, a bigger one. That's for tomorrow when all the guests arrive."

"How many people did you invite, Mabel?"

"Oh, a couple… dozen."

Timmy smiled humbly before he stood up and gave Mabel a hug.

"Thanks."

"No problem!" Mabel said as she patted Timmy's back.

Elsewhere, Mabel's mother was sitting on the couch watching T.V. Feeling lonely, she decided to call her husband. She approached the phone and tried to dial. The buttons didn't work, so she checked the batteries and found them in the wrong place. She flipped them around before trying to call again. This time, the buttons worked, but she didn't receive a dial tone. She looked under the table and saw that the phone was unplugged. _"Mabel must have knocked it over."_ she thought to herself. She plugged the phone line back in and called her husband.

"Hello." she said.

"Jesus Christ, where the hell have you been?!"

"Wh-what?! I was just watching T.V.! What's wrong?"

"Dipper's gone."

"What do you mean? Where is he?"

"He's just gone. I checked the school, and then I went over to his friends' houses. I even checked the police stations and called into the hospitals. He's vanished."

The Pines' mother's heart started pounding in her chest. Despite thinking Dipper was responsible for hurting Mabel, a part of her still cared for him. She thought that he was simply deluded and needed time away to come to terms. But now, Dipper could be anywhere, and she didn't know where to start. She was too frenzied to notice the black sedan parked outside her apartment.

Dipper was watching; he had been for a while, assuming that his mother and Mabel were keeping to themselves. But when he saw her stand up and call, he saw her expression change into manic worry.

"_She knows."_

Dipper pulled the seat back, hiding within the shadowed angles as he continued to watch. His mother was panicking, but she wasn't going towards Mabel's room.

"_Mabel's not here."_

Dipper continued watching, noticing that although Mabel's mother was panicking, she wasn't storming out the door to go fetch Mabel.

"_She doesn't want to go get Mabel. Mabel must be doing something important. Which means I'm taking too much of a risk for nothing. Might as well go drive around for a bit."_

Dipper started the car, keeping the lights turned off in case his mother looked outside. Dipper drove away, passing through the side streets as he took in the view of the neighborhood.

"_What is Mabel doing?"_ Dipper thought to himself.

Mabel was thinking about him. She was worried; she knew that Grunkle Stan was trying to help her, but what if he didn't get to Dipper in time? What if Dipper vanished without knowing where she was, and was now lost and homeless? Mabel sighed uncomfortably as Timmy and Tootie badly performed a duet, A.J. and Chester having left before. As the terrible duo finished, Timmy noticed Mabel looking down, staring into the grass.

"_Either there's a very interesting bug in the grass, or Mabel's feeling down. Could go either way with her. Still…"_

Timmy decided to leave the makeshift stage that was set up and walked over to Mabel.

"Hey, want to go a round?" Timmy asked. Mabel looked up at him with a small smile.

"Okay." She muttered.

Timmy and Mabel walked over to the karaoke machine and started the next song. Mabel felt a solemn weight as she recognized it. It was one of Dipper's favorite songs. Timmy tossed her the microphone as he started singing.

"Friday night  
>And we're gonna party<br>'Till dawn!  
>Don't worry, daddy<br>I've got my favorite dress on!"

Mabel looked up at Timmy with a smirk as the teen proudly sang the feminine lyrics without shame.

"Come on, you know I'd look good in a dress." Timmy joked.

Mabel chuckled as she joined in.

"We just keep dancing!  
>We don't care what they say<br>And all the boys are  
>Getting up in my face"<p>

Mabel had started having fun, losing herself in the moment with her new friend as Tootie and his parents watched. Mabel got so caught up in the moment that she didn't notice the black sedan that parked across the street, nor the shade that had walked towards the house.

Dipper was driving along when he spotted an interesting sight. A sign saying "Timmy's Birthday Bonanza!" covered in glitter, and Christmas lights were trailing along the yard, telltale signs of his sister's handiwork.

"_Mabel!"_

Dipper stopped the car and got out, all but blindly rushing into the street as he ran up. He spotted Mabel and smiled for a split second, before his sadness returned. There she was, singing along happily to a karaoke song with her equally happy partner. He remembered what his father told him. Mabel had found someone else, and there he was, a goofy pink clothed teen cheering Mabel up.

"Oooh, ooh  
>Girls do what we like<br>Oooh, ooh  
>We're taking over tonight!"<p>

Dipper turned away in shame. He walked back across the street, not caring or paying attention to any vehicles as he made his way to the other side. Dipper fell onto the sidewalk, sitting with his feet in the street as he looked down. He chuckled lightly to himself as tears started dripping from his eyes.

"_I really did mess Mabel up, didn't I? I guess I deserve getting fucked over."_

Dipper lay back on the sidewalk and stared up at the stars.

"_Well, now what am I going to do? Can't go back home; dad will probably kill me. Literally, and then dump the body in a ditch. I guess I'll go find a job someplace out of state. Maybe I can join the circus. I could be the prized freak! 'Come one, come all! Look at the miserable Dipper Pines, who was dumb enough to believe his own sister was in love with him!' I'd be the star attraction. People would come from miles around just to get a good look at me."_

Dipper sighed as he lifted his body up, still sitting and pondering his next action when he heard a jaunty tune. He listened as the stranger walking up came closer, and heard the bizarre lyrics coming out of her mouth.

"What will we do with a drunken sailor  
>What will we do with a drunken sailor<br>What will we do with a drunken sailor?  
>Early in the morning!"<p>

Dipper listened before the stranger, in her dark crackling voice, added her own morbid take on the song.

"Gut 'em like a fish and throw him over  
>Gut 'em like a fish and throw him over<br>Gut 'em like a fish and throw him over!  
>Early in the morning!"<p>

Dipper turned and looked. He spotted a redheaded female walking down the street carrying several sticks over her shoulder. But when she got closer, Dipper realized that she wasn't carrying sticks, but swords. The lady was carrying several different of blades that wouldn't look out of place in a pirate movie. Dipper simply mouthed "what the fuck?" as the lady came into view. She looked down at him, unblinking and silent with her cold pink eyes. Dipper just looked up at her; a confused, scraggily, and broken mess.

Vicky flipped one of the swords down by the blade and handed it over to Dipper. The confused teen took the hilt in his hand before the redhead crossed the street, singing her happy tale of murder.

"Blast 'em in the face with a loaded cannon  
>Blast 'em in the face with a loaded cannon<br>Blast 'em in the face with a loaded cannon!  
>Early in the morning!"<p>

Dipper stared at the gleeful lady as she walked away, questioning his grip on reality as he held the pirate blade. Back at the party, Timmy and Mabel had finished their song; Timmy had walked back to sit down while Mabel and Tootie screeched along to Chip Skylark. Vicky walked up with her cutlasses and dropped them on the table.

"Uh, why?" Timmy simply asked.

"I already have a big enough medieval collection, figured I'd start on a new era. Now be a dear and go help get back my last sword." Vicky said while pointing towards the front.

"What happened to it?"

"I handed it over to some homeless kid."

"Why?"

"I wanted to see the look on his face. It was worth it." Vicky said with a smirk as she sat down.

Timmy reluctantly stood up and walked towards the front. Sure enough, there was a short figure sitting on the sidewalk staring at the blade in his hand. Timmy walked across the street; the person with the sword came into view. He looked like he went through hell, his clothes raggedy and several sizes too big for his thinned frame. Dipper looked up and met Timmy's eyes.

"_He's just a teen. Can't be much older than me."_ Timmy thought as he sat down by the pitiful wreck.

"So, you want something to eat?"

"No, I'm good."

"Come on; I've got cake."

"Nah, I'll pass. Not that hungry… So, I take it it's your birthday?"

"Actually, it's my pre-birthday."

Dipper chuckled. _"Of course Mabel would throw a pre-birthday party."_

"Yeah, it is kind of silly." Timmy responded to Dipper's amusement.

"Ah, I like it… so, I take it that's your girlfriend?" Dipper said while tilting his head towards Mabel, who was currently busy dueling Vicky with a pirate sword.

"Yeah. She's a weird one." Timmy replied, watching his fiery haired companion break through Mabel's defense and poke her in the chest.

"Yeah, she is." Dipper whispered while thinking about Mabel's eccentric behavior. He turned his head down gloomily.

"So, maybe I'll bring you something?"

"No, I've got a little money left. I'll go find something."

"Alright."

The pair silently watched the party going on in front of them, Timmy not yet ready to give up.

Mabel lost her second round to Vicky and grumbled in defeat.

"Where's Timmy? I want to fight him next."

"He's helping out some homeless kid across the street."

Mabel walked over and picked up another sword, ready to challenge Timmy to a duel. She spotted the pink clothed teen talking with someone. She felt her heart pause. She recognized those clothes; the red undershirt, the brown jacket, and those blue jeans. And the hair; a brown, shaggy uncombed mess. Mabel dropped the swords on the ground and started walking. Tears formed in her eyes as her heart convulsed with pain. Mabel broke out in a dash as she ran across the street, only half paying attention to traffic. Dipper only had a second to look up before Mabel tackled him to the ground, kissing him as she let out a sorrowful squeal silenced by Dipper's lips. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him upward into an embrace. Dipper felt a fire rekindled in his chest. He moved up, returning Mabel's kiss with a heightened fervor as he enveloped her in his grasp, as if he was afraid of her being ripped away again. Dipper's own eyes started crying as he kept his lips against Mabel's, his deadened emotions resuscitated by her presence. Mabel continued sobbing into his throat, sounding like a puppy reunited with its owner after several years. Mabel eventually pulled away, gasping for air as she choked on saliva.

"Dipper! Oh my God, Dipper!" Mabel shouted as her heart nearly exploded.

Dipper simply grabbed Mabel into a hug, burying his head in her neck as he sobbed. Dipper mumbled Mabel's name as he cried into her shirt, his long buried emotions resurfacing in a tidal wave of sadness and relief. Then the pair realized that they weren't alone. Timmy was still sitting right next to them, scratching his head at the sudden emotional trauma that unfolded in his presence. Timmy stood up and stretched his legs before motioning the pair to follow.

"Come on in; I'll get you something to eat." Timmy said as he started walking back.

Dipper picked up the sword as he and Mabel followed Timmy through the front door. Dipper took a look around the living room before he followed Timmy into the kitchen. Timmy was fiddling in the refrigerator gathering the ingredients to prepare a sandwich for Dipper. Dipper looked at it, and he felt something he hadn't felt in a long time; hunger. Dipper was starving as he greedily bit into the sandwich. He didn't even chew; he simply swallowed the large chunks, the need to eat returning with a sudden force. Mabel took her seat next to her brother as she wiped the tears from her eyes, attempting to calm the storm of emotions within. Timmy gave Dipper a can of soda that he gulped down, not caring about the flavor.

"Damn it, Dipper, why'd you do this to yourself?" Mabel said.

"I guess… I guess I forgot to care." Dipper said with a dark chuckle.

"Why?" Mabel muttered as she continued to dry her eyes with her sleeve.

'I just… I thought I lost you forever… and then I heard you moved on…"

"Dipper, you idiot. I was trying to find a way to get free. You always assume the worst." Mabel said as she hugged her brother.

"I tried calling home. I tried calling the school, but those lazy jerks don't care. I even looked around for carrier pigeon services."

Timmy was in the middle of piecing everything together.

"_Who is he? Mabel obviously knows him. Dipper. Where have I heard that before? Her brother… holy shit._"

Timmy realized everything. Mabel and Dipper's parents didn't get divorced; they were keeping the siblings separated.

"You know… we should probably find somewhere private." Timmy said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Huh?" Mabel said.

"Let's head up to my room."

Timmy led the pair upstairs. He lightly closed the door halfway, leaving enough light to illuminate the room slightly. Timmy pulled up a chair and faced the pair, who had positioned themselves on the foot of the bed.

Timmy could see it clearly now. Dipper resembled a male version of Mabel, but weakened and scrawny. The group sat in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes before Mabel finally spoke.

"Timmy… how much do you know?"

"Well… I know that Dipper is your brother… and I can see that you two love each other more than anything."

Timmy looked away, half-shocked and half-embarrassed. Mabel looked down gloomily.

"You think we're freaks, don't you?" Mabel said.

"… I don't think your freaks." Timmy said as he turned to face the pair again.

"You don't?"

"Of course not. Just born in the wrong time period, that's all. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know… I don't want to leave, but we might have to."

Timmy thought about the twins' predicament. Leaving might be best, but if they go someplace they know then their parents might find them, and if they run off someplace else there's no telling what might happen.

"You know… I could help you." Timmy said.

"What?"

"I can hide Dipper out here."

"Really? Would your parents allow that?"

"Well, my dad doesn't give a crap and I can guilt trip my mom for all the times she ran off on vacation and left me alone."

"Why are you helping us?" Dipper asked.

"Because… I know what it's like to have to hide from the world. To be on edge, because the person you love the most might be taken from you if anyone found out."

"But Timmy, everyone knows you're dating Vicky." Mabel said.

"They do, but they think Vicky and I started a couple months ago at my prom. Truth is, it started earlier than that. A lot earlier. And I know the pain when you do get found out. When someone stumbles in and thinks they know what's going on; thinks you're being abused or controlled when you're just as part of the relationship as your partner. I know what it's like to fight with everything you have, because when that person walks out the door then you know everything is going to fall apart. I'm sorry you two weren't as lucky as me and Vicky."

"Thank you." Dipper said as Mabel walked over and gave Timmy a hug.

DING

The doorbell echoed through the house.

"Shit." Mabel muttered. Her mother was probably there to pick her up.

"Dipper, hide." Mabel whispered. Her brother looked around the room before running towards Timmy's closet and climbing in.

Mabel walked out of Timmy's room and noticed Mrs. Turner opening the door.

"Hello, is Mabel here?"

"Why yes! Come in, Mrs. Pines."

"Mabel?" the Pines' mother said as she looked up the stairs and saw her daughter.

"Yes?"

"Can you come down? We need to talk."

"What is it?"

"In private."

"Oh, okay."

Mrs. Turner walked around, looking for her son, who was missing from the party for several minutes. Mabel and her mother sat down on the couch in the living room. Mabel's mother took her daughter's hand firmly in hers.

"Mabel, Dipper ran away."

"What?" Mabel asked in false surprise.

"He's gone now."

"So… what's going to happen?"

"I don't know, but your dad will be coming to see us tomorrow."

"Okay."

Mabel yawned, exhausted by the emotional storm that had torn into her heart.

"We should probably get going." her mother said.

"Yeah, let me go say goodbye to Timmy."

Mabel walked upstairs; Timmy was casually playing a video game and ignoring his mother's protests to come say goodbye, long ago learning how to remain calm in the face of uncertainty. Mabel walked into the room.

"Bye Timmy." Mabel said with a wave before turning to face the closet door.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Mabel said to her hidden brother before turning and leaving.

After hearing the sound of the car driving away and Timmy's mother leaving, Dipper stood out of the closet.

"Well, I should probably go tell my parents. It would probably be best to have a story in mind."

Timmy and Dipper planned out their lie before going downstairs into the kitchen. Timmy's mother was putting the cake away while Timmy's dad sat down. Vicky was absent, having left to drive Tootie home.

"Ah, who is this?" Timmy's dad asked.

"This is my friend, Billy Snyder."

"How come we've never met before?"

"We mostly just hang out around school. He came over here because his parents kicked him out of the house. I figured I could give him a place to stay, maybe set up a small bedroom area in the basement."

"Where was he upstairs?" Timmy's mother asked.

"You didn't see him? He must have gone to the bathroom."

"I guess so, but still, is this a good idea?"

"Mom, he's got nowhere to go. His own _parents_ threw him out; what kind of _mother_ does that? I say we should at least be better than them." Timmy said.

"Well, okay." Timmy's mother said, feeling guilty over her own shaky history of parenting.

"I have one condition." Timmy's dad stated.

"What's that?" Dipper asked.

"Billy, you smell; take a shower and get cleaned up. Timmy, go fetch some clean clothes for Billy."

Dipper beamed Mr. Turner a smile before rushing up the stairs to clean himself off. Timmy followed him up and turned into his room to look for the least feminine outfit he had. Dipper walked into the bathroom and began taking off his clothes, and as he did he glimpsed at himself in the mirror. He jumped slightly when he realized how deteriorated his body had become. His muscles had decreased to less than half of their original size, and he had lost nearly a third of his weight. His eyes had darkened circles from a lack of proper sleep, and his hair was a tangled, dandruff covered mess.

"_Shit."_ he thought to himself as he walked into the tub.

Timmy left a light pink t-shirt and a pair of jeans outside the bathroom door before walking back downstairs. Timmy was now alone with his parents in the kitchen.

"So, how come you've never mentioned Billy before? He seems like a nice enough fellow." Timmy's dad said.

"I don't know, I guess I just never thought about it. He never really was the type to hang out after school."

"He isn't… you know, an addict, is he?"

"Of course not. I've never seen him take drugs or even mention any. I think he's just a guy with a string of bad luck. Figured he could use some help."

"Okay. Well, there's an old mattress in the basement. Let's go set up a bed for Billy."

Timmy and his father walked off to go prepare Dipper's new room. Dipper was upstairs, drying off from his shower.

"Looking good_._" he joked to his mirror self. Dipper opened the door slightly and looked down, noticing the clothes before picking them up. Moments later, Dipper came out of the bathroom with his new look, carrying his old clothes down the stairs. Dipper walked down into the basement to find Timmy and Mr. Turner setting up a bed.

"Thanks, Timmy. This means a lot to me. More than you know."

"No problem. I'm always here to lend a hand, Billy."

Dipper dropped his clothes by a pile of laundry as Timmy's dad walked up the stairs.

"So, how did you and Mabel meet?" Dipper asked.

"Well, our first class is algebra together, and I noticed she seemed distant, not fully there. I had no idea what it was, but I figured ignoring her would just make the problem worse. I invited her over to the lunch table I sit at. Fit right in with my goofy friends."

"By the way, has Vicky ever… babysat before?"

"Chad?"

"How'd you… oh, right, Mabel told you."

"Yep. Vicky's the nightmare of countless teens in our town. Everyone else doesn't think she's real, with how crazy the stories are."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Yes. Vicky's not as extreme as she used to be. I went to visit the daycare she ran, and instead of absolute terror, the kids just seem annoyed from being bossed around."

"And speak of the devil." Dipper said as he saw Vicky walking down the stairs with an annoyed glare.

"Really, Timmy? I leave you alone for ten minutes and you go and adopt a hobo?"

"He's not a hobo. His name is Billy Snyder; I know him from school."

"You're a bad liar Timmy; what's his real name?"

Timmy shifted his gaze downwards, seemingly interested in a black spot of dirt on the floor. Dipper cleared his throat before speaking.

"My name's Dipper Pines. I kind of ran away from home."

"Really, it got that bad?" Vicky said flatly. Dipper chuckled in embarrassment.

"So, Timmy, why'd you bring him in?"

"Uh, he's… he's kind of related to Mabel."

"Then why isn't he staying with her?"

"You're not going to make this easy, are you?" Timmy said while chuckling to himself. Dipper responded while starting to blush.

"Mabel and I… we're kind of, close."

"So? Just go with her."

"No, we're… _close._"

Vicky scratched her head.

"I'm not getting you." she said.

Timmy coughed to gain Vicky's attention. He took his two pointer fingers and started mingling them together.

"Oh… _oh._" Vicky said before going silent.

"Yeah… Dipper and Mabel were found out; that's why their parents split, to keep them separated. Dipper found out Mabel's living in Dimmsdale, so for the time being, he'll be hiding with us."

"Okay, just… if you and Mabel are going to… just put a sock by the door or something." Vicky said as she wiggled her head, trying to banish the images sprouting in.

Vicky walked back up the stairs, leaving the two alone.

"Well, it's getting late, Dipper, and I'll need to get up early to help set everything up."

"On your own birthday?"

"Yeah. I like to help, even if I don't need to; it's a good thing too, otherwise you might of run off or something. If I can help someone at their worst, then that keeps me going. I'll see tomorrow."

"Goodnight."

Timmy walked up the stairs, the sound of his feet echoing above the basement as he went into his room. Dipper relaxed, content with his current situation as he fell into a deep sleep.

_Saturday_

Dipper awoke to the sound of footsteps thundering overhead. He moved out of the clunky mat and stretched, his back aching from the awkward hunch. Dipper rubbed the crud out of his eyes before going to walk up the stairs. He opened the door and nearly bumped into a brown haired blur. Mabel was on fire; she was nearly single handedly preparing everything by herself, Timmy and his mother falling behind in an attempt to keep up with her.

"Need any help?" Dipper said as Mabel brushed past him carrying a bowl of freshly cut celery.

"No thanks. Just get some rest." Mabel said as she came dashing back.

Dipper walked towards the living room, moving against the wall to allow Mabel to rush through bringing a bag of chips and dip. Dipper crashed into the couch and put on the T.V. as he watched his hyperactive sister prepare the festivities. He smiled warmly as he turned away. He looked at the clock in the living room.

"_Ten o'clock. I slept eleven hours."_

Dipper shook the sleep from his mind as he watched the T.V. Timmy walked into the living room.

"Uh, there's some pancakes in the fridge. Just got to heat them up for a minute."

"Thanks."

Dipper walked into the kitchen and took the food out of the refrigerator and put it in the microwave, humming to himself as he waited. Dipper took out a can of soda and sat down at the table with Timmy's dad.

"Good morning Mr. Turner."

"Good morning, Billy."

"Pretty cool party."

"I know. That Mabel lady is something else. I don't think I've ever seen a human move that fast before."

"Maybe she's an alien. I think I've met aliens on several occasions. Sadly, they never tell me their secrets."

"So, uh, Billy; do you happen to have any job prospects? We're not kicking you out or anything, we're just wondering. Feeding five mouths can be costly."

"I know. I'll start looking soon."

"By the way, is that your car outside?"

"Which one?"

"That black car across the street. I've never seen it before, and it hasn't moved."

"That isn't mine. Probably just someone visiting their relative."

Dipper finished his breakfast and excused himself from the table, maneuvering around Mabel before heading back into the living room. Over the next hour, Timmy's closest friends began arriving at the party. Dipper heard a knock on the door and spotted a black teenager carrying his swimming suit. Dipper got off the couch and opened the door for him.

"Uh, who are you?" A.J. asked.

"Name's Billy Snyder. What's yours?"

"A.J.…so, what's your story?"

"My parents kicked me out and now I'm staying here for a while, at least until I can get a job."

"Alright. Well, I'm going to go put my swimming trunks on."

A.J. walked up the staircase to go in the bathroom. Dipper closed the door and walked over to the kitchen, taking out a bag of chips and pink lemonade before returning to the couch and flipping through the channels.

"_Truth or Dare, Doctor Blues, Joe's Restaurant Challenge. Ooh, the Crimson Chin."_

Dipper sighed lazily before A.J. came back down and went outside. Dipper was content being alone, not willing to risk his exposure to Timmy's friends. Dipper noticed Vicky and Timmy come walking out of his room. Timmy hurried into the bathroom while Vicky came walking down the stairs and walked past Dipper, plopping herself on the couch next to Dipper.

"Hey."

"'sup."

"You like the Crimson Chin?"

"Yeah, Timmy dragged me into it. It's stupid, but it's the good kind of stupid."

"I know what you mean. Mabel and I like this movie called Duck-tective. Probably the dumbest thing there is, but it wears its stupidity with pride."

Dipper took a sip of lemonade.

"So, Vicky… why'd you give me a sword?"

"To see how you'd react. I thought it was funny as hell."

"You're weird."

"Hello Pot, name's Kettle; want some tea?"

Dipper and Vicky laughed.

"So, are you going to join Timmy's friends outside?" Vicky asked.

"I'm going to wait until the rest of the party gets here. Less people wondering who I am that way."

"Smart move. Everyone should be here in an hour. Mabel probably invited a hundred people, so I doubt anyone will care about one face."

"Still, I need to stay on alert. My dad's driving this way and he'll probably be pissed even though he doesn't know I'm here."

"You got a plan in case you get caught?"

"Run away, maybe even fight. I'm never losing Mabel again."

"Well, if worse comes to worse, make sure you have me around."

"What can you do, threaten my parents with fake swords?" Dipper jested.

"No, too dangerous. Kids will just run away, but grownups will call the cops or try and shoot you. Adults, you have to get psychological. You have to fuck with their heads."

"What, you going to play therapist? Expose my parents' deepest childhood traumas?"

Vicky turned and stared at Dipper, her smile gone and her gaze blank and unyielding. As she continued to watch him, not apparently affected by the lack of moisture in her eyes, she took her left hand up open-palmed and slowly gouged in with her sharpened fingernail, breaking the skin and drawing blood. She slid the nail down her hand, continuing to lightly cut her skin.

"Okay, that's really creepy."

Vicky returned to normal and slouched back into the couch, sliding her cut hand into her pocket.

"See? Most of the time, you won't even need to fight. They'll be too busy thinking about how fucked up that was to remember why they were angry."

"Have you actually been in a fight before?"

"Several. I've learned it's not about muscle mass or training, although that definitely helps." Vicky said as she flexed her right arm.

"It's about knowing how the human body works. What can knock someone out, how to snap their bones out of place, and how to cause the most pain."

"Scary. Well, if I ever do get in an actual fight, then I'll try and make sure that you're there to help."

Dipper allowed the conversation to drop as he rested his head on his hands.

"_What if it does turn into a fight? What if dad tries to drag me out of the house? Would I even have the strength? I've never exactly been strong, and these last few weeks I've turned into a stick."_

Dipper let out a sigh before he slouched back into the couch. Then he remembered that he had a black rental car sitting across the street with his backpack and driver's license in it.

"Uh, Vicky. You seem like the best person to ask this question."

Vicky turned and looked at Dipper curiously. Dipper made sure that Timmy's parents weren't in view before continuing.

"You wouldn't happen to know how to dispose of a vehicle filled with evidence, would you?"

Vicky smirked maliciously.

"Oh, I have several ideas."

"Would you kindly go and get rid of the rental car that traces back to me? I don't need the cops showing up and screwing everything up."

"Where're the keys?"

Dipper took the keys out of his pocket and handed them to Vicky.

"I have my backpack and driver's license in there, so maybe you could go and bring them back."

Vicky shook Dipper's hand, and then she stood up and walked out the door. Dipper turned and spotted Vicky get in the car and fetch Dipper's belongings. She came back into the house and walked into the basement to drop them off. Vicky came back up the stairs and out the door, whistling the Drunken Sailor tune. Several seconds later, the engines sputtered on and Vicky drove away.

The next hour passed in relative silence, the party not starting officially until twelve. Dipper continued to watch the T.V., only half paying attention to the movement of feet throughout the house. Vicky returned from her evidence disposal and handed Dipper two hundred dollars.

"Uh, what for?"

"The junkyard paid me for scraps. Figured you needed the money more than me."

Dipper watched as the clock turned to noon, and the rate of arrivals increased drastically over the next minutes.

Droves of people began showing up, all invited by Mabel to the celebration. Once there was a sufficient crowd outside, Dipper walked out to join the group. The yard was packed; at least fifty people were outside, and more still were coming. Dipper noticed Timmy and his friends were lounging in the pool. Vicky was wandering around, hovering over the kids she used to babysit like a dark shadow.

Dipper walked over to the snack tray and started munching on crackers before a pair of hands covered his eyes.

"Oh, gosh darn it, the sun just exploded." Dipper joked.

"Well, we'd better learn to live like the Eskimos." Mabel said.

"I think snow would be the least of our concerns if the sun went out." Dipper responded dryly.

Mabel took her hands off Dipper's face; he turned around and smiled at her happy, goofy face. Dipper gave her a light kiss on the lips that made her giggle happily. Dipper and Mabel split up, not wishing to attract too much attention. Dipper walked around and mingled with the crowd, never staying in one spot long enough for people to realize that they've never seen him before.

Dipper bumped into a pair of well-dressed teens with an aura of pride around them.

"Oh, sorry… uh, what're your names?" Dipper asked.

The two teens seemed offended, as if the idea that someone from their school didn't know who they were was inconceivable.

"Well, I am Chad, and this is Tad."

"Okay. Name's Billy. So, enjoying the party?"

"Yes, it's rather nice." Tad responded, slightly less arrogant than his friend.

"And that Mabel; she is a rather beautiful lady." Chad said as he eyed her.

Dipper buried his jealousy with a blank expression.

"She is, isn't she?" Dipper said, admiring his sister in a way that few would accept.

"So, Billy, we haven't seen you at school much."

"I already graduated."

"Well, what are you going to do next?" Tad asked.

"Get a job somewhere. You wouldn't happen to know anyone hiring?"

"No, but I have been needing a new caddie."

"Maybe I'll join you. Anyways, I'll catch you later." Dipper said as he walked away.

Dipper came over to Timmy and his friends chatting in the pool.

"The man of the hour." Dipper said to Timmy.

"Hey Billy; enjoying the festivities?"

"Yeah, Mabel really knows how to throw a party."

"She's definitely done this before."

"So, Billy, where are you from? I haven't seen you at school." Chester said.

"I graduated last year."

"So how'd you hear about the party?"

"Timmy invited me. We hung out a couple of times last year."

"How come you've never mentioned him, Timmy? Are you cheating on me and A.J.?" Chester joked.

"I don't know. Just never thought about it." Timmy said with a light chuckle.

"Well, I'm going to catch you guys later." Dipper said before walking off. Once he was out of sight, Chester continued his joking interrogation of Timmy.

"So, any other secret friends we don't know about?"

"No, none I'm aware of."

"Still, it's weird. We've never shared any classes. And I've never seen him before, either." Chester observed.

Timmy's lie was being unraveled faster than he hoped.

"He was in my advanced math class." A.J. said.

Timmy gave A.J. a questioning look. A.J. lightly nodded his head in confirmation of Timmy's thoughts.

"Well that explains it. He's one of your robot comrades." Chester said.

"Yeah, he helped me plan for the hostile takeover of North America." A.J. joked.

Dipper walked around the party and found Mabel talking with Vicky.

"So, Vicky… about your offer of having you around to help." Dipper started.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have a cell phone number? A way to get in contact quickly?"

Vicky took out her phone and moved through the menus and then took out a piece of paper.

"Any of you got a pen?"

Mabel took out a glitter colored pen and handed it over to Vicky. Vicky wrote her number on the paper twice and tore it in two.

"Here, this is my number. If any of you need help, give me a call." Vicky said to the twins as she handed over the paper.

"Thank you." Mabel replied.

The next few hours went by smoothly. At three o'clock, a pizza delivery truck pulled up to the house. Timmy's mother came outside carrying a stack of pizza boxes high enough to block her view, her husband leading her through the obstacles and out into the backyard.

"Pizza time!" she shouted to the party.

Mabel and Dipper joined together as they got in the line. Dipper took a slice of cheese and sausage while Mabel took a colorful, vegetable covered mess. The pair of twins walked over to Vicky, Timmy, and Timmy's friends.

"Hi guys." Dipper said.

"Hello." Vicky responded.

Dipper looked at her pizza and made a noticeable gag when he spotted her choice of topping. Vicky and Timmy both had anchovies on their slices.

"Anchovies?!" Dipper responded in a grossed out tone.

"Yeah, I know. Kind of weird. It tastes good once you get over the smell, though." Timmy said as he took a bite of the fish covered pizza.

"I'll take your word for it. Where'd you get that, anyways? I didn't spot any anchovies on any pizza by the table."

"We ordered our own. That way the smell doesn't mess with anyone else." Vicky said.

"So Billy, what's it like having a robot brain?" Chester asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, A.J. says you were in his advanced math class. Figured you two were similarly quacked."

A.J. averted his eyes while Dipper gave him a questioning glare.

"Yeah, we had it together. I never really had a robot brain, though. Numbers just come to me, that's all." Dipper responded humbly.

"So, are you and Mabel hitting it up?" Chester asked.

"I don't know, maybe."

"It's funny, you two almost look related."

Dipper's heart skipped a beat.

"Us? Nah, I don't see the resemblance." Mabel said nervously.

"What, come on. Brown hair, brown eyes, same height. You'd even pass for twins." Chester responded.

A.J. choked on a bit of pizza.

"Probably just a coincidence, unless my parents secretly gave a sister I didn't know about to adoption." Dipper replied calmly.

"Uh, Mabel?" Vicky said.

"Yeah?"

"Your mother's here." Vicky said while pointing.

Mabel's mother was looking around, checking the many different faces for her daughter. Mabel quickly turned to go up to her overbearing parent while Dipper turned his back towards his mother, hiding within the group.

"Mom; what brings you here?"

"I was just coming over to check on you. See how you're doing."

"I'm fine, mom. I'm not ten anymore."

"I know, I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright."

"Thanks."

"Your dads here, now. He's at the apartment."

"Okay. How's he doing?"

"He's angry, but he's worried about you."

"Alright, but I need to get back to my party. You don't need to check up on me all the time. I'll be alright."

"Alright sweetie, I won't keep you."

Mabel's mother gave her daughter a hug before turning to leave again. As Mabel turned around, she found Vicky was right next to her.

"You're mother's kind of condescending."

"She's just worried, that's all."

"No, it's more than that."

"Well, I am her special snowflake." Mabel joked. Vicky sighed, annoyed at what she was about to say.

"Sorry about this, but she doesn't just think you're 'pretty-little-princess' special, she thinks you're 'ten I.Q. points away from the short bus' special."

"What?" Mabel said with hurt in her voice.

"Like I said, I'm sorry, but it's the truth. Not you being dumb; anyone that can put all this together is a mad genius, but about her thinking less of you."

"Why would she think that?!" Mabel said angrily.

"Because you're too good. You're energetic, you're kind, you're sweet, but your mother thinks that's childish. She thinks you need to be protected from the outside world, that you aren't mature enough to handle it."

Mabel looked away, ashamed as she realized that Vicky was telling the truth.

"I don't need her protection." Mabel said with a simmer of anger.

"No you don't, but eventually you'll have to convince her of that, even if your parents never figure _it _out."

Vicky and Mabel walked back to join their friends. Mabel let out a frustrated sigh.

"I need to take a break." Mabel said with an exhausted sigh.

The twins walked back inside the house, waving to Timmy's parents on the way to the living room. Dipper and Mabel collapsed on the couch. Dipper held his sister close as Mabel pondered Vicky's words. Eventually, it would come to conflict. Mabel needed to force her mother to understand, even if she never finds out what happened to Dipper. Mabel leaned onto her brother's shoulder and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of his chest and the beat of his heart as she relaxed. A.J. came in and silently passed by the pair as he walked up to the bathroom. When he came down, wearing his usual clothes, Dipper and him made eye contact.

"So, A.J., why'd you lie for me?"

A.J. walked over and sat on the couch next to the pair.

"When Chester said I had a robot brain, he wasn't exaggerating. When I get nervous, I tend to overthink and figure things out that should remain hidden. I know more of my friends' secrets than they would prefer. I have enough information to blackmail a hundred of my peers, have several teachers fired, and bring down at least two dozen politicians. But I choose to keep these hidden, so don't worry."

A.J. stood up and walked back outside, leaving the pair sitting on the couch awkwardly.

"At least we aren't alone, eh bro?" Mabel said.

"Yeah. They're good friends, him and Timmy." Dipper said as he rested his chin on Mabel's head.

The pair remained on the couch silently enjoying each other's company as the occasional party goer walked past them. No matter how tight Dipper held Mabel, it never seemed like they were close enough. Eventually Timmy's mother came into the kitchen and started carrying out the large birthday cake. Mabel got off the couch to go help Mrs. Turner bring the hefty cake outside into the yard. Dipper nearly walked out to join the group, but he hesitated. Many of the other party goers were taking out their phones and recording the ceremony. Dipper instead decided to move around to the side and stick with the back of the crowd.

Mabel and Mrs. Turner set the large cake down while Timmy's dad took out several dozen plates and forks. Mabel stood up on a chair, hovering over the crowd.

"OKAY, LISTEN UP!" she bellowed.

The crowd went silent.

"When I first came into this town, I didn't know anyone. I didn't have any friends here, or even knew someone besides my mother. But Timmy, this goofy wonderful pink loving boy, he was the first one to offer his friendship. He could have just let the silly, sad new girl go about her day, but he wouldn't let that happen. He couldn't, because if there's a chance to help, then Timmy's going to take it. Timmy, you are probably the nicest person I've ever met. So, all of this, is my way of saying thank you. Thank you Timmy Turner. Happy birthday."

Mabel got the crowd's attention, conducting them in a chorus singing for Timmy. The pink-clothed kid starting crying, not ashamed of his own emotions. Vicky herself managed to shed a few tears for her lover's big celebration.

Timmy took the first piece of cake. The crowd slowly shuffled in a circle as they each took a slice. By the end, there was almost none left. Dipper made his way to the table and took one of the last slices before joining up with Timmy's friends.

"Awesome party Mabel." Dipper said to his sister. As he mingled next to Mabel, Chad came over and coughed for their attention.

"Ah, Mabel…"

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if you would like to join me for a romantic evening."

"Oh, that's very sweet of you, but no."

Chad sighed in defeat.

"Alright; I'll see you at school." he said before walking away.

Dipper couldn't help but form a tiny smile.

"So Vicky…" Timmy started.

"I was wondering if you'd want to go dancing tomorrow."

Vicky rolled her eyes.

"I've been practicing. I signed up for dance lessons at school."

"Are you any good?" Vicky asked.

"I'm getting there."

"So, no." Vicky joked.

"Actually he's, like, pretty good for a beginner." Veronica said.

"You're in the class with him?"

"Yeah; Tootie and I are partners; we're still beginners, but Timmy and Mabel have natural skill."

Dipper mingled with the group for the rest of the party, dodging questions about his past with Timmy and A.J.'s help. As the party dissipated, A.J. and Chester being the last to leave, Mabel let out an exhausted sigh.

"Well, I'm going to call my mother, get her to pick me up."

The group walked back into the house while Mabel went to use the phone. Dipper returned down the stairs, not wanting to be exposed when his mother arrived. Timmy and Vicky plopped down on the couch.

Dipper was changing back into his old clothes, washed and dried earlier in the day. The door to the basement opened and Mabel walked down.

"Hey." he said as Mabel walked over to him.

She placed her arms around him as she maneuvered onto his lap, kissing him lovingly as Dipper ran his fingers through Mabel's hair. They moved into a slow grind, Dipper bucking his hips into Mabel's panties through her skirt. Mabel moaned before she broke off the kiss. The twins looked into each other's eyes, staring deep down into each other's souls. They were together again, like two pieces of a mirror that was cracked in two. Mabel rested her head on Dipper's shoulders.

"Oh God, Mabel."

"Oh, Billy- I mean Dipper!"

Mable and Dipper burst out laughing, their earlier vigor fading out of existence.

"Mabel, how could you?" Dipper responded dramatically.

"Oh come on, Billy was wearing pink!" Mabel said as she looked at the clothes Timmy lent to Dipper.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a fashionably straight male that likes pink? I had too! It was like catching a rare Pokémon."

Dipper and Mabel giggled again as Mabel stood up.

"Well, it's probably for the best. Mom'll be here soon." Mabel said.

"Love you Mabel."

"Love you too, Lebroski." Mabel said with a mock gun click.

Dipper relaxed into the bed as Mabel walked upstairs. Mabel waited by the door as Timmy joined up.

"What are you doing?" Mabel asked.

"Helping maintain your cover."

Mabel and Timmy waited by the door as Mabel's mother drove up. Timmy followed Mabel outside.

"So, I'll see you later?" Timmy said.

"Yeah, we've got that dance tomorrow. I'll see you then."

Before Mabel left, she walked back over to Timmy and buried his face in a deep kiss. Timmy's face reddened before Mabel broke it off and walked over to the car, hopping in as she waved goodbye to Timmy.

"So, I take it you like him?" Mabel's mother said.

"Yeah, he's a pretty good guy. He was the first one to speak to me; invited the lonely sad kid over to his lunch table."

"That's good. I'm glad you've been able to get back to normal."

"_Jokes on you. I've never been normal and I never will be."_ Mabel thought with a grin.

Back at Timmy's house, Timmy had wandered back inside, his face still red with embarrassment. Timmy walked in the door to spot Vicky and Dipper staring at him. Dipper had a slightly red face and a glower while Vicky had an amused smirk.

"Are you jealous?" Timmy asked Dipper.

"No!" Dipper shouted far too quickly as he turned his head away.

"Oh, you totally are, Mr. Billy!" Vicky said in a playful tone.

"And it's so adorable. Yes you are! Yes you are!" Vicky continued as she pinched Dipper's cheeks.

"Ah, come on! Quit it!" Dipper said as he brushed Vicky's hands away.

Timmy and Vicky laughed as Dipper gave them an annoyed look. Before Dipper could go back in the basement, Timmy grabbed his shoulder.

"So, you want to play some video games?"

_Sunday_

Mabel woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. Mabel stood up and waved to the canaries, causing them to flee. Mabel gleefully dressed, humming the Lamby song in her head as she put on a short, flowery yellow skirt and matching blouse. As Mabel stepped out her door, she found her mother making pancakes and her father reading the paper, sipping on coffee.

"So what are you doing, all dressed up and ready to go?"

"Timmy's been wanting to test out his new dance skills, so his friends and I are going to a dance club. Disco, baby!" Mabel said as she did a little dance.

"That's good. I'm happy for you, sweetie." Mabel's mother said.

Mabel hid her annoyance. Ever since Vicky pointed it out, Mabel could hear the condescending tone in her mother's voice that made it seem like Mabel was still just a child.

"Just don't take things too quickly. You don't want to rush into these things." Mabel's father added.

"I know; I'm not dumb."

"I never said you were dumb; just don't want you getting hurt, that's all."

Mabel gave her father an annoyed glare before dropping the issue and joining her family at the table.

"PANCAKES!" Mabel shouted in an overly enthusiastic voice.

Mabel's father chuckled and gave his daughter a pat on the head. Mabel grew silently frustrated. Every little thing reminded her of Vicky's words. Her parents didn't think highly of her; that's probably why they separated the twins.

"_They thought Dipper was controlling me."_ Mabel thought as she took a bite of her food.

"So where is this dance place?" Mabel's father asked.

"It's near the school; sometimes they host parties for the graduating members, so it's safe." Mabel said to reassure her parents.

"That's good, but you should still be careful, you never know what kinds of people might be there."

Mabel sighed in aggravation. Her parents weren't going to make this easy. After breakfast, Mabel's mother took her daughter over to Timmy's house.

"I'll pick you up about six?"

"Make it seven."

"Alright."

Mabel got out of the car and rushed to the door. She knocked rapidly, a wide smile on her face as she waited to see her real boyfriend and her fake boyfriend. Timmy opened the door and invited Mabel in.

"Hi Mabel."

"Hello, Mr. seventeen year old Timmy who's not my boyfriend."

Timmy and Mabel laughed as they walked in.

"Well, we aren't meeting up with our friends until threeish, so until then we can just hang out."

"That'd be nice. Ooh, got any four player games?"

"Yeah, two against two?"

"How did you _ever_ guess?"

"Psychic."

Timmy and Mabel laughed as they got their partners. Mabel walked into the basement to find Dipper still sleeping. Mabel jumped on her brother, jolting him from his sleep.

"Ah! Oh God, what the hell?!"

"Hey Broseph!" Mabel said with a mischievous grin.

"Oh, Mabel. Hi. What time is it?"

"Far too late for you to still be stuck down here, sleepyhead."

Mabel dragged her brother out of bed and dusted him off.

"Come on. We've got a game to win."

"What game?"

"I don't know, but we're fighting Timmy and Vicky. I already lost to her fighting with pirate swords. I don't plan to lose again!"

"Well, with me here, I'm sure we'll kick their butts."

"Ha, you need my help more than I need yours, mister gloomy gloom."

"Hey, too soon." Dipper joked as he walked up the stairs.

"I can't believe you thought I found someone else. I mean, you're supposed to be the smart one!" Mabel said as she followed Dipper up the stairs.

"I'm also the one who assumes the worst of everything. You really couldn't think up a better plan?"

"It was on the fly. I needed a way to get out of that cage." Mabel said as they opened the door into the hallway.

"Yeah, I know. But when were you planning on getting a message to me?"

"I tried several times, but dad was watching you like a hawk; the phone barely rung once before he picked the phone up."

"Yeah, he thinks I'm some super smart creep. He'd delete all the messages and took the phone with him to bed." Dipper said as they wrapped around the hallway and walked up the stairs.

"Well, it doesn't matter now. Grunkle Stan obviously gave you help."

"Thank God for that old kook. I'd have starved to death by the time _you_ found out how to get me."

Mabel punched her brother in the arm playfully. The pair opened the door to Timmy's room to find their rivals already loading up a game.

"What're you playing?" Dipper asked.

"The Crimson Chin's Final Bout." Timmy responded, relaxing into his girlfriend's embrace

"Oh yeah; I love this game."

Dipper pulled a chair in front of the T.V. Mabel playfully jumped onto his lap, making Dipper blush. The two couples played several rounds before Dipper excused himself. He brought back several granola bars and a slice of leftover pre-birthday cake.

"Mine." he said to Mabel as she eyed the sugary dessert like a hungry dog.

Dipper sat down next to the chair as he quickly chugged down his food. Two minutes later, he was back in action.

"You really need to eat healthier than that, bro." Mabel said.

"That's hilarious Mrs. Sugar Addict."

"I might gorge myself on candy and cake and chocolate and cookies, but at least I still eat regular food."

"Occasionally."

Mabel elbowed her brother in the chest before relaxing into his grasp.

"_We can make this work."_ Mabel thought.

"_After dad leaves, mom should be far looser with where I go. Dipper can get a job and start saving up. In a year, we'll be eighteen. Then we can move in together."_

Mabel smiled happily to herself as she and her brother defeated Timmy and Vicky again.

The group of friends came out of the room after another hour. Timmy, Vicky, and Mabel walked into the kitchen.

"So, what do you want for lunch?" Timmy asked.

"I don't know."

"We've got some turkey, sausage, ham."

"What?! You, eating a poor defenseless pig?!"

"Huh? It's just pork."

"'It's just pork' he says. Did you know that pigs are one of the smartest mammals next to humans? And those adorable 'oink oink oinks' they make. I'd never eat one of Waddles' friends."

"Waddles?"

"My pet pig. He lives up with my great uncle in Gravity Falls."

"Neat… and now I kind of feel bad. Guess I'll stop eating pork."

"And cows have best friends." Mabel thought out loud.

"Guess they're off the menu too. Well, that gets rid of all the meat in the house, besides turkey."

"You know, there are fake meats you can buy. Dipper and I used to love them back home. It's all the flavor of meat, without the guilt of participating in manufactured genocide!"

"I'll have to try it some time. I'm not giving up anchovies, though. I like anchovies." Timmy said as he licked his lips and grabbed the box of leftover pizza.

Dipper was lounging on the couch drinking a can of soda when Mabel and his housemates came into the room.

"So, anything good on?" Mabel said as she scooted up next to her brother.

"Can't find anything yet."

As Dipper flipped through the guide, he came across a familiar movie.

"Duck-tective." he said with a stupid grin.

"And it just started." Mabel responded.

"Duck-tective?" Timmy asked.

"Just wait. You won't be disappointed." Mabel said gleefully as Dipper tuned into the movie.

Dipper and Mabel watched intently, holding back on quoting every line together and giggling goofily. Timmy and Vicky simply watched, laughing occasionally, but mostly amazed at the stupidity unfolding before their eyes and unable to turn away. Timmy could feel his brain shutting down, the synapses misfiring as his mind malfunctioned, yet he couldn't help but want to know what happened next.

"It looks like you 'quacked' the case." the constable said to his feathery friend.

The duck quacked in a sarcastic tone, annoyed at his pun-obsessed partner as the subtitles read "Don't patronize me." Timmy couldn't help but laugh at the stupidity. He started giggling uncontrollably as the credits started playing.

"That was… that was 'quackers!'" Timmy shouted as he laughed.

"Great; two days with you two and you already broke my boyfriend." Vicky responded sarcastically.

"Come on, you have to admit you enjoyed it. I heard you laugh at parts." Mabel said.

"It was… it was alright." Vicky admitted.

"Well, we've still got an hour until we meet up with our friends." Timmy said.

"Shopping?" Vicky asked.

Mabel and Timmy nodded while Dipper turned to Vicky.

"You think maybe you can pull the top up on your convertible?"

"Why?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure parents seeing their two kids making out together can turn their car into a safety hazard."

"One of the lesser known rules of the road." Mabel responded.

Timmy and Vicky walked out to the car. Vicky got in and turned the top up, coming over the car like a protective shield forming, keeping its inhabitants shadowed within the tinted windows. Dipper and Mabel took one last look around the streets and quickly made their way over to the car. The lovers moved into the backseat.

"So, where first, my faithful servant?" Mabel asked Vicky mockingly. Vicky rolled her eyes at Mabel through the mirror.

"Johnny's Game Palace? I've been wanting a copy of Devil Never Cries 2." Timmy said.

"How is it?" Mabel asked.

"Awesome."

"Duck-tective awesome or 'awesome' awesome?" Dipper asked.

"Both. First boss is the size of a skyscraper. You cut him in half with an _actual_ skyscraper shaped like a sword."

"Yep, we're definitely getting that." Dipper said with excitement.

The group drove over to the game store. Mabel and Dipper walked in after Timmy and Vicky and split up to browse over the aisles. Dipper noticed the manager was nervously eyeing Vicky.

"What's with him?" Dipper asked Mabel.

"Don't know."

"I threatened to set him on fire." Vicky said casually from the aisle over.

"What? Why?!" Dipper said.

"He wouldn't let me buy the first Devil Never Dies for Timmy."

"You couldn't just buy it later?"

"Eh, I was already in the store; didn't want to waste the gas driving back and forth." Vicky explained; she seemed to find her line of reasoning perfectly rational.

Dipper went silent as Mabel shook her head in embarrassment.

The group took the game to the front. Vicky paid for it while eyeing the manager. She forced his gaze downward with her overwhelming aura. The group of unlikely friends made their way back to the car.

"Vicky, Dipper's going to need some new clothes. You think we could go get some?"

"Sure, but you owe me."

"Thanks!" Mabel said.

Vicky drove the group over to Dixie's Supreme Fashion. Vicky, Mabel, and Timmy got out of the car.

"You coming in, Dippingsauce?" Mabel asked playfully.

"No, I'll wait here; don't need to be bumping into mom and dad. This is one of their stores."

"Okeydokey."

Mabel skipped into the store, giddily hopping towards the men's section as Timmy and Vicky meandered behind, looking at the newest fashions.

"Looks like something grandma would wear." Timmy said in reference to a yellow polka-dotted dress

Vicky picked up the dress and eyed Timmy deviously.

"Vicky?... no; no way am I wearing that." Timmy stated as he shook his head in protest.

"Well then, I'll have to punish you for disobeying me later." Vicky said with a malicious undertone.

Timmy felt an eerie shiver down his spine, and yet he anticipated whatever strange torment Vicky would prepare for her love.

Back outside, Dipper's fears were confirmed. He spotted his parents pulling up near Vicky's car. Dipper averted his eyes as his parents walked past the front of the car, not spotting him in the backseat. Dipper took a deep breath at avoiding the close call.

Back inside, Mabel was meeting back up with Timmy and Vicky, carrying several different clothes for her brother.

"So, you ready?"

"Yep."

The friends walked over to the counter. As the cashier started ringing up the items, Mabel noticed her mother and father walk into the store.

"_Don't see me. Don't see me. Don't see me."_

"Oh, hi Mabel!" her mother shouted.

"Shit." Mabel muttered to herself.

"Hi mom, hi dad. Fancy meeting you here."

"What are you doing here?"

"Shopping. Timmy needed some new clothes."

As the cashier rang up the items, Vicky took her keys out and handed them to Timmy.

"Timmy, could you get the car started and turn on the air conditioning?"

"Yeah, sis."

Timmy walked past the Pines' parents to go to the car.

"So, how's your day going?" Mabel's mother asked.

"It's been going great. After we head back to Timmy's house, we'll get to the dance."

"That's good. I'm glad you two are getting along."

There it was again. That patronizing tone that insulted Mabel's intelligence and emotive nature.

"Yeah, we're two peas in a pod, me and Timmy." Mabel said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, but we've gots to get going. Got lots of wiggling and boogieing to do." Mabel continued.

As Mabel and Vicky started walking out the door, Mabel's fear came true. Her parents were following her to send her off. Mabel felt uneasy as she walked towards the car, but Vicky was walking back as if nothing was wrong. Mabel let out a sigh of relief as they approached Vicky's car. Timmy was in the front passenger seat, tapping his hand along to the radio with Dipper nowhere to be found.

"Well, I'll see you guys later." Mabel said as she got in the backseat.

Mabel waved goodbye to her parents as Vicky got in the car and backed out. Mabel's parents fell out of view before Vicky spoke.

"So, where's Dipper?"

"He walked over to that restaurant."

Vicky pulled around the front to find Dipper slouching against the wall with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey, need a ride?" Mabel shouted playfully from the side.

"Why yes, beautiful stranger." Dipper replied as he walked around and got in the backseat with Mabel.

"So, that was a close one."

"Yeah. Good thinking on your part, Vicky."

"It's what I do." Vicky replied proudly.

Vicky drove back to Timmy's house. Vicky and Timmy walked up to his room, leaving Mabel and Dipper downstairs.

"So, dancing; you do realize I suck." Dipper said.

"Eh, you're not bad; you're not _good_, but you definitely aren't bad. Just be yourself!" Mabel responded in her usual cheerful demeanor.

"Thanks." Dipper responded dryly.

Dipper and Mabel waited downstairs; Timmy returned from his room wearing a pink undershirt, a blue overcoat and blue slacks. Vicky walked out afterwards wearing a red dress that pushed up her breasts. Dipper looked away, blushing slightly.

"Hey! Aren't mine good enough?" Mabel said as she proudly fondled her breasts.

"Yeah, but if you get a fake boyfriend that you can kiss, then I can look at the scary, pretty redhead."

"I guess it's fair." Mabel said.

Timmy and Vicky were both looking away, embarrassed by the absurd twins as they unashamedly discussed Vicky's choice of clothing.

"Well, we should get going." Timmy said as he ignored the Pines' banter about his girlfriend's chest.

The group made their way back into the car. Vicky drove over to the club, meeting up with Chester and Veronica at the front.

"You're, like, so cute Mabel!" the ditzy valley girl said.

"You don't look too bad, yourself."

"And I see you've hooked up with Billy."

"Yeah, he's pretty cool."

"You're a cute couple."

"Thanks."

The group of friends walked in, Mabel and Veronica dragging their boyfriends towards the dance floor while Timmy and Vicky walked in behind them. Mabel and Dipper walked towards the corner to find A.J. and Trixie expertly bopping to the song.

"Wow, you two are on fire!" Mabel said.

"Thanks." A.J. responded as him and his girlfriend halted their dancing.

"So, I see you two have started dating." Trixie said.

"Yeah, I like him a lot." Mabel said as she laced her fingers with Dipper's.

"I can see that. You make a good couple."

"Thanks, now if you'll excuse us, we have some boogieing to do!"

Mabel and Dipper found their own spot on the dance floor. Mabel started moving with the beat of the song, dancing circles around her inexperienced brother. Dipper remained relatively still, slowly easing into a rhythm with his sister as they danced awkwardly together.

"You've been practicing."

"Yeah, Timmy and I have a dance class in gym."

"Beat still, my jealous heart."

"Ha, you do get jealous, don't you?"

"Yeah, I should probably learn to chill out."

"Nah, it's fine, I think it's kind of cute… and sexy." Mabel said as her face turned red slightly.

"Rargh."

Dipper and Mabel laughed together as they continued their tango.

Vicky and Timmy were ten feet away, Timmy leading Vicky through the dance. Vicky's movement was constricted and jerky, yet fast; she treated the dance as if it were a battle with unseen opponents in all directions.

"See, I told you I've been practicing." Timmy said proudly.

"You're definitely better than last time."

"I'm a natural." Timmy said as he stumbled slightly. Vicky giggled.

"Well, I did train you well; taught you how to _move._" Vicky said in a sultry tone as she slid her nail under Timmy's chin.

"Yeah." Timmy responded with a shiver.

Mabel and Dipper moved in nice and close, sensually rubbing their bodies together.

"You go girl!" Veronica yelled.

As the song came to a close, Mabel kissed Dipper, a heat ignited in her chest. Dipper gladly returned the fervor, grabbing her close and threading his hand up her long hair and holding her head as he tilted her backwards. Dipper lifted his face away, gazing longingly into Mabel's eyes.

"Hey." he whispered sensually to Mabel, horizontal in her brother's arms.

"Hey you."

"You too."

"Mr. Magoo."

"Covered in poo."

Dipper and Mabel snickered to each other as Dipper lifted her back up, cracking his weakened arms back in place.

"You really need to work on your muscles, Billy." Mabel said as she lovingly squeezed Dipper's arm.

"Yeah, I know."

"So, you want to keep going or go sit down?"

"Let's go find a table. I'm getting hungry again."

Dipper and Mabel walked off the dance floor and came across Tootie, Trixie, and A.J. sitting together.

"Oh, hello Mabel, Billy." Trixie said.

"Hey." Dipper said with a wave.

"Having fun?"

"Yes! I'm queen of the dance floor!" Mabel shouted energetically.

"I'd say more of the jester." Dipper responded.

Mabel elbowed him in the chest.

"Yeah, I deserved that."

"So, what you getting Mr. Bill?" Mabel asked playfully.

"I don't know. I guess I'll get some cheese fries."

"Share?"

"Of course."

"You two seem really close already." Trixie noted.

"Well, when it works, it works." Dipper said.

"Yep; we're two peas in a pod, brothers in arms, two loons in a loony bin." Mabel said.

Dipper and Mabel relaxed into their seat, noticing Timmy and Vicky come walking over, slightly red in the face and sweating as they steadied their breathing.

"So, I see you two are getting in the spirit of the dance." Mabel said.

"Yep, you know me. Dancing." Timmy responded awkwardly.

Mabel hadn't noticed that the pair didn't come from the dance floor, instead having made their way over to the table from the bathroom. Dipper and Mabel ordered their food and ate, talking only to each other as their friends chatted around them.

"Boop." Mabel said as she poked Dipper on the nose with her cheese covered finger, moving in to lick the cheese off as she giggled.

Chester and Veronica finally came over and joined their friends.

"So, having fun?" Mabel asked.

"Yes!" Veronica replied cheerfully while Chester shrugged indifferently.

"Same. It's going great." Timmy said.

"Eh." Vicky said.

"Come on, Vicky. Admit it; you're having fun." Mabel said.

"Fine. It's pretty fun. Helps my little twerp doesn't suck as bad as before." Vicky said as she gave Timmy an affectionate pat on the back.

"Told you I was a natural; Mabel and I have rushed past the rest of the class." Timmy boasted.

"Yeah, he knows how to move; he's like a little springy, bendy ragdoll." Mabel said.

"So, Tootie, you want to go practice?" Veronica asked.

"Okay, sure."

The dance partners made their way back onto the dance floor. Tootie was more able to match Veronica's speed, their bodies moving and flexing together to create beautiful patterns. Chester was watching intently, starting to blush before turning away and shaking the perverted thoughts from his head.

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, I would like you to stop thinking it." Vicky said.

"Sorry; it just popped in there."

The rest of the group snickered at Chester's embarrassment.

"So, Billy, want to go get funky?" Mabel asked.

"Yep; got my energy back and I'm ready to boogie."

Dipper and Mabel walked back onto the dance floor; Dipper moved faster with the beat, trying to keep up with Mabel's locomotive vigor. Dipper only managed a half-coherent movement as he jiggled awkwardly to the beat of _Livin' On A Prayer_.

The lovers danced until they were exhausted and sweaty before walking back to the table.

"It's been an hour and a half already." Dipper said as he collapsed into the chair.

"I know."

"I'm getting hungry again."

"Don't go overboard; don't need you getting all fat on me."

"I eat the same as you do."

"Yeah, but I use my energy. The energy of motion! What's it called? Kin… kenntic…"

"Kinetic energy."

"That's the sciencey word! Yeah, I have a lot of that."

"You definitely do. It's pretty awesome."

"You know it, Billy."

Dipper and Mabel laughed together; as Mabel closed her eyes, she noticed a red blur move past. She opened her eyes to spot Dipper and Vicky walking away with a sudden haste as Timmy took Dipper's seat. Mabel looked behind her and spotted her parents storming in. Her mother had a worried expression, while her father was red with anger. Mabel took a deep breath as her parents came over to the table.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Pines. What brings you here?" Timmy asked innocently.

"Timmy, may we have a moment with our daughter?" Mabel's mother asked.

"What's wrong?"

"Timmy, we need to speak alone." Mabel's father said sternly.

Timmy excused himself from the table, giving Mabel a reassuring look as he left.

"Mom, dad, what is it?"

"Mabel, I think we should go."

"Why? We were just about to go eat dinner."

"I'll make you something at the apartment. We need to go."

Mabel stood up slowly from the table, her heart beating with a rapid thunder. Mabel followed her parents out to their car. Mabel's mother still had a worrying expression on her face, while her father had a look of hateful vengeance on his face.

"_They know. How could they know?"_

Mabel got in the backseat of the car, worrying as her parents drove her home in silence. Mabel slowly stood out of the vehicle, a sense of fear and dread closing in on her mind. Mabel followed her parents into the small apartment and sat on the living room couch. Her mother made a small meal for the three, delaying the uncomfortable situation for a half hour at most. The three sat at the kitchen table, eating in silence. Mabel's parents averted their eyes, Mabel giving them a judgmental glare that they were not used to seeing from their daughter. After the meal, Mabel left the table and sat down on the couch, waiting for her parents to finish. Her father finished first before coming over and pacing aside the couch, attempting to master his torrent of anger. Mabel's mother sat down on the couch next to her daughter, giving Mabel a reassuring hug. Mabel lightly lifter her mother's hands away from her.

"Mabel, please." her mother said as she attempted to place her hands back. Mabel shoved them away, more forcefully this time. It felt like she was being suffocated. Her father finally took a seat next to her. He fiddled in his pockets before taking out a picture. It was the picture of Dipper and Mabel, holding hands. It was the first picture they took as a hidden couple, a month before they turned sixteen.

"Where is he?" her father asked.

"…How did you find that?" Mabel asked coldly.

"That isn't important right now, sweetie." her mother said in a saccharine tone. Mabel could feel an uncharacteristic anger boiling in her chest.

"Yes it is. Where did you find it?" Mabel asked again.

"…We found it under your bed."

"And what were you two doing in my room? Why were you looking under my bed?"

The question silenced the parents. They had taken to snooping around her daughter's room, viewing her privacy as unimportant in the face of their daughter's safety.

"We're just trying to help you."

"Well, you've already fucked that up."

Mabel again brought her parents to noiselessness. A minute passed before they tried speaking again.

"Mabel, where is Dipper? He must have given the picture to you."

"I don't know where he is, and he didn't give that to me. I took it from home as a reminder."

Silence again took over the conversation. The parents weren't used to their daughter being cold and dominant, yet it only fed their false viewpoint. They were convinced that their daughter was being manipulated.

"Sweetie, I think we should go."

"Yes, you two should both go."

"No… we should head back to Piedmont."

Mabel's head spun towards her mother.

"I'm not going anywhere." she said with a deathly chill.

"Yes we are. If that freak thinks he's getting near you again, then he's wrong." Mabel's father blurted out.

"I'm not going!" Mabel said with a shout as she stood up.

"Pack your things; we're leaving tonight."

"I'm not leaving! Here, I have friends! I have people I care about!"

"After a week?! Mabel, they aren't your friends. They're just taking advantage of you."

Mabel went silent. Her father finally showed how little he thought of her. Mabel felt furious as she stormed off, picking up the phone and taking it into her room, slamming the door behind her. She locked the door just as her father tried to barge in.

"Mabel? Mabel?! Open the door!" her father shouted as he knocked and jiggled the handle.

Mabel took out the slip of paper with Vicky's cell number and called.

"Damn it Mabel!"

The phone rung for a split second before Vicky's familiar voice came over the other end.

"Mabel."

"Vicky. Pick me up."

The phone clicked off on the other end as Mabel's father started pounding on the door. Mabel tearfully started packing clothes into her backpack, stuffing them down before zipping it up.

"I'm not kidding, Mabel! Open the door!"

As Mabel waited on her bed, trying to block out the sound of her father angrily smashing the door, she thought on her recent past. Two and a half months she was separated from Dipper. Her parents ripped them apart, forcing her into a little cage like she was a pathetic animal that couldn't fend for itself. She remembered the pain she felt; the worry of never seeing Dipper again, the loss of his warmth against her. And the person responsible was bellowing at her door like she was a dumb child. She felt an alien emotion coming over her; hatred.

"_That stupid fart ruined my life. He broke Dipper. Dipper might have even tried to… tried to... I hate him! I hate him!"_

"Mabel, open the door!"

"SHUT UP!"

Mabel's screech echoed through the house, silencing the barrage of fists at her door. Then she heard a knocking from the patio outside. Mabel took her backpack and opened the door, shoving her mother out of the way. Mabel opened the patio entrance and tried to walk back with Vicky, but was jerked back by a grip on her arm.

"Let go of me!" she shouted as her father tried to drag her back. Mabel slapped him across the face, sending him further into a rage. His grip tightened, sending a sharp pain through her wrists.

"You're hurting me!" Mabel shouted.

"Hey Dumbass!"

Mabel turned and looked. Vicky walked casually into the apartment, bearing an angry frown.

"Huh?!" Mabel's father said.

"You, Dumbass."

"My name's-"

"Your name's Dumbass, Dumbass. Now take your paws off my friend, you impotent gorilla." Vicky said with a snarl.

The shock of Vicky's insults caused Mabel's dad to loosen his grip, just enough for Mabel to rip her arm out of his grasp. Mabel walked over and stood by Vicky, holding her ground against her parents. The father of the twins walked over to the pair and tried to push Vicky away, but Vicky grabbed his hand and gouged her nails into the skin, eliciting a yelp of pain from the older man. Vicky's expression changed; she bore a terrifying smile, a sadistic grin marking the pleasure she received from causing pain. She brought her left hand up to the father's chin and poked him with her nail.

"Let me put this in a way even your simple monkey brain can understand, you Neolithic idiot; Mabel is under _my_ protection. She's going to be staying with me for a few days while you panicky idiots pull your minds back together."

Vicky released her iron grip on the older male, allowing him to hold his wounded arm as it trickled blood. Mabel and Vicky walked out the door as her parents tried to follow.

"Mabel, please stop!" her mother shouted.

Mabel silently walked over and hopped in the front seat of the car. Vicky stayed behind, forcing Mabel's mother back.

"Why are you doing this?" her mother asked tearfully.

"Because Mabel is one of the few people who's managed to make me feel anything besides being annoyed or pissed off. Not a lot of people can do that, so I value her friendship. And when her parents try and break her heart, that gets to me. So if you try to hurt her in any way, there will be no safe haven on this earth that will protect you. That's a promise."

Vicky turned and walked to the car, leaving Mabel's terrified parents behind as she drove off.

"I take it things didn't go too good." Vicky said, trying to start a conversation.

Mabel was scared of Vicky, backing into the seat and averting her eyes. Vicky pulled into a parking lot. She unbuckled her seatbelt and moved towards her passenger. Mabel closed her eyes in fear before feeling warm hands surround her.

"Sorry about that, but it was the only way to get them to back off." Vicky said as she rubbed Mabel's shoulders soothingly.

Mabel wrapped her hands around her mad protector.

"I know… they know about me and Dipper. They know he's probably here. They want to separate us again."

"Not on my watch. Now let's get you home. Well, my home. Whatever."

Vicky returned to the driver's seat, buckling up before continuing back to Timmy's house.

"Thanks for the help."

"Don't mention it."

Vicky pulled up to Timmy's house, letting her passenger go. Mabel ran towards the door and found Dipper waiting for her. Mabel jumped into his arms, sending him back before he found his balance.

"Hey there."

"Dipper…" Mabel said sadly before she kissed her brother.

Dipper let Mabel down before the pair walked in and sat on the couch next to Timmy's dad.

"Oh, hello Billy."

"Hi."

"Hello." Mabel said with a wave of her hand.

"Oh, Mabel. What are you doing here?"

"My parents are being dorks and fighting back at the apartment. Dad wants to try and force us to come back home, but I'm not ready to leave my friends yet. I'll stay a night or two over here while they sort themselves out."

"Alright. We don't have any spare beds, so you'll have to stay on the couch."

"That'll be fine. Better than listening to my dad yelling all night."

"Sorry about your troubles."

"Thanks. By the way, where's Timmy?"

"He's eating dinner. For some reason, he didn't want the pulled pork. Usually he loves it." Timmy's dad thought out loud.

Mabel snickered as she walked into the kitchen, finding Timmy chewing into a salad.

"Oh, hi Mabel."

"Hi. Didn't go out with your friends?"

"No, I figured they'd be asking too many questions. Since Vicky had to get you, I take it things aren't going to good?"

"No. They're closing in. Dipper and I are probably going to run."

"Well, if it comes to that, then best of luck to you."

"Thank you. You have no idea how much it means to Dipper and I."

Mabel excused herself before going back into the living room. She sat down next to Dipper and relaxed into his chest.

"Oh, I see you two are together. Well, I'll be watching the T.V. upstairs, then." Timmy's dad said before walking off.

Mabel pushed Dipper back, knocking him down and maneuvering on top of him. Mabel started putting kisses over his mouth before taking a sniff.

"Dipper, you need to brush your teeth."

"Don't have a toothbrush."

"I brought mine."

Mabel fiddled in her backpack, tossing out clothes and books before finding her toothbrush and toothpaste.

"Go get rid of your stink breath. Then we can make out and stuff."

"Stuff?" Dipper asked.

"_Stuff._" Mabel replied sensually.

"Oh, 'stuff' stuff. Yeah."

Dipper rushed with the toothbrush up the stairs, knocking Timmy's mother out of the way as he dashed into the bathroom. Dipper squirted the toothpaste on and rapidly cleaned the grime off his teeth. Dipper spit the strawberry-minted paste into the sink and washed his mouth out before going back down the stairs, smashing into the couch.

"So, where were we?"

"Smacking our lips together, getting funky."

Dipper took Mabel's hand in his own as he moved in, tenderly kissing her as the pair closed their eyes and fell to the couch. Timmy silently crept past the pair as he walked up to his room with Vicky. Dipper moved his hands through Mabel's hair, enjoying the feel of her soft, untangled hair. Mabel moaned affectionately, the sound vibrating through Dipper's mouth and tickling the back of his throat.

"_I love when she does that."_

Dipper slowly moved away, attempting to catch his breath.

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

The pair laughed together before Dipper turned on the T.V.

"We'll wait until later before we get to the 'stuff.'" Dipper said.

"Yeah… you think we'll have to go?"

"Probably. We'll rent a car tomorrow; figure we can get Vicky to waste a few more dollars on us. We'll head back to Gravity Falls and work for Grunkle Stan. I can help you with your last high school classes."

"Sounds like a plan."

The lovers relaxed as Dipper flipped through the guide, holding Mabel close to him. The pair settled on a Crimson Chin marathon. As the sun waned into the night, Mabel fell further into her brother's embrace. The pair had their eyes closed, listening to each other's breathing as they held each other close. Dipper turned off the T.V. and kissed Mabel on the head before standing up to turn the rest of the lights off. Dipper returned and again hugged Mabel, lightly kissing her as they closed their eyes and fell onto the couch. The room was illuminated by the moon as the lovers began undressing. Then the room grew brighter. Dipper opened his eyes to see blue and white lights flashing into the room.

"Oh no."

"Shit."

Mabel and Dipper fled towards the basement pulling their shirts back down as Vicky came out of Timmy's room, putting her pants back on before walking down the stairs. Vicky opened the door to greet the police officer waiting.

"Oh, Officer Phillips! Is something wrong?" Vicky asked innocently.

"Well, when I heard the call naming you as a kidnapper, I thought 'that's not right' and decided to come and see what's going on."

"Kidnapping? I'd never!" Vicky responded in an appalled tone, hiding her sadistic nature beneath a shell of offended innocence.

"That's what I thought, but I still have to check it out." the officer said as Vicky walked with him outside.

"That's her! She's the one!" Mabel's father shouted.

"What? Mabel's family? What happened?!"

"You stole our kid, you lying creep!"

"Mabel? I'd never hurt her! Is she safe?!" Vicky said in a worried tone.

"Where is she?!"

"I don't know! You two dragged her away from the dance; that was the last I saw of her!"

Mabel's father grew furious; he lunged at Vicky, who allowed him to jump on her and punch her in the face. The officer dragged the Pines' dad off and threw him back.

"What the hell are you doing, Mr. Pines?!" Officer Phillips yelled.

"Control yourself!" the cop said as he tried to steady the raging father.

Vicky gave the anger man a sadistic smile as she stood up and wiped the blood from her nose. When Phillips was sure that the man was calm enough, he turned back to Vicky, who had already reassumed the guise of the worried friend of the family.

Back inside, Mabel and Dipper were hiding in the basement.

"What do we do?" Mabel asked.

"We could run. I'm sure we could make it out the window… and then bump into the cops."

"We could head towards the back and just loop around when they search, all Benny Hill-like."

"Or we could wait down here and hope they don't search the house."

"Or… we confront them. I confront them."

"We already tried that. They don't listen to reason."

"We tried it together. They probably thought I was just goofy lil' Mabel, the idiot who got abused by her smarter, more mature brother."

"That's dumb."

"But that's what they thought."

Dipper took a deep breath.

"If it works, then we won't have to hide anymore." Mabel said.

"And if it doesn't-"

"We still have a borderline lunatic on our side."

"Yeah, she is kind of nuts, isn't she?" Dipper said with a chuckle.

Back outside, Officer Phillips was trying to explain that without any proof, he couldn't barge into the house.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Pines, but I'm with Vicky on this one."

"You believe her?! She's insane!"

"Well, she's definitely eccentric, but she isn't a kidnapper; I know that."

The door to the house opened and Mabel walked outside with a firm gaze. Vicky chuckled awkwardly.

"Well, okay, I did sort of bring her over against her parent's wishes, but I had a good reason!" Vicky said as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

Mabel walked up to the police officer.

"Officer, you may go."

The officer gave Vicky an amused smirk before getting back in his vehicle and leaving.

"Mabel, oh God!" her mother said as she tried to walk up and hug her daughter.

"Mom, dad. Follow me." she said coldly. Mabel brushed her mother's hands away as she walked in, followed by her parents and Vicky.

Mabel escorted her parents into the living room.

"Sit." she commanded. The pair sat down on the couch. Mabel walked into the kitchen and pulled a chair into the living room, positioning it in front of the couch.

"Mabel, what are you-"

"Hush."

Mabel walked back into the kitchen and pulled another chair out, dragging it back to face her parents. Mabel walked down the hall and opened the basement door.

"Dipper."

The name rung through the parents' ears; they turned and looked towards the door to spot their son walk out of the blackness. Mabel and him walked hand-in-hand back into the living room. The siblings sat in front of their parents. They looked at their mother, tearing in the eyes as she held her hands to her mouth, finally seeing how much her son had withered. They looked towards their father, who had buried his emotions beneath a pale face.

The group sat silently observing one another, neither being able to find the words to start.

"How did you find out?" the twins' mother asked after several minutes.

"I told him." Mabel said.

"No… why?"

"Because I wanted him back."

"But… Timmy; you're dating Timmy."

"No I'm not."

"I saw you kiss him!"

"I lied. Do you understand? The whole thing; planning the party, kissing Timmy, and being playful with him and acting all nervous around him. It was all faked. I planned it all. I played you. I played you like a fiddler on the roof."

"But, Dipper hurt you."

"No he didn't, _but you did_. Do you know what pain feels like? Have you ever felt everything fall apart in an instant, and no matter how much you try and force it back together it fails?"

"I… we tried to help you."

"No you didn't. You tried to help yourselves."

"I… what?!" her father shouted.

"You think what that freak feels is love?!"

"Shut up!" Mabel shouted as she stood up, towering over her parents. She felt tears form in her eyes, and she let out a sob.

"Two months. You ruined us for two months; you two can't even begin to know how that felt. The loneliness, being away from the person you cared about most. You have no idea what that feels like! So don't you dare get angry with me!" Mabel yelled.

"Mabel, he's your brother." Mabel's mother said with a whisper.

"Yes, he is my brother. And he's my best friend. And he's my boyfriend. I love him, and I'm _in_ love with him! It's not a normal love, but it's _mine_! It's my choice to decide who I want to spend my life with! And you aren't going to take that from me! NEVER AGAIN!" Mabel screamed.

An eerie silence came over the room, save for the sound of a door opening upstairs and footsteps moving towards the bathroom. Mabel fell back to her chair, not speaking as she held her brother's hand. She heard a whimper. Her mother was crying as she held her hand over her mouth, her eyes lowered to avoid the judgmental gaze of the twins. Mabel looked to her father.

"_Oh no."_

Her father's eyes became constricted, the black center shrinking as he twitched with clenched fists. Her father lunged at Dipper, driven by primal madness.

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT FREAK!" he screamed as he pummeled his son to the floor, his reasoning and sanity felled beneath a tide of rage.

Mabel tried to pull him off, but he simply shoved her aside. He was too focused on his son to notice the green blur rapidly approaching his periphery. He was jerked away, thrown with a force that jolted him from his rage as he flew into a table. As his dazed eyes focused again, he spotted Vicky approaching with a destructive glee.

"I held back before. I don't intend to again." she said as she bared her teeth.

The enraged father charged her. The experienced brawler sidestepped, tripping her opponent and sending him face first into the ground. Vicky hovered over him and wrapped her right arm around his neck, choking him within her elbow's grip.

"If I pull a little more, then I can send you off to dreamland for a few seconds. A little tighter than that, then the blood vessels in your head start to burst from the pressure. The symptoms resemble that of a stroke. You'll be out for a few minutes, but you should recover. Mostly. And a little more after that, I can easily break your neck and paralyze you. The question is; how much pressure do I need to put you through before you stop fighting and leave my friends alone?"

The man angrily flapped his arms before he put together the threat. He stopped struggling, but Vicky kept him down.

"Let him go." Mabel said sternly.

Vicky released her grip on the man, allowing him to stand and stumble over to the doorway. The commotion had attracted the attention of Timmy's father, who was walking down the staircase in his bathrobe.

"What the hell is going on down here?"

"That freak brainwashed her!" the adult Pines shouted in impotent rage. Timmy peaked out the door, wondering just how bad the situation had gotten.

"What are you talking about?"

"He manipulated her! She thinks she's in love with him!" the father raved, refusing to accept the truth in front of him.

Timmy's dad simply scratched his head in confusion. Mabel walked towards the stairs, guarded by Dipper and Vicky from the father.

"Mabel, Billy? What's going on?"

"Mr. Turner… this is Dipper, my brother."

"…I see."

Timmy's dad walked down the stairs, past the group and into the basement. He returned seconds later carrying a bottle of whiskey. He walked into the kitchen and fetched a shot glass, pouring the alcohol in. He walked over and sat on the couch before turning to the broken family.

"Do you want some?" he said, offering the Pines' mother the shot before chugging several glasses worth from the bottle. As the father stumbled out the door, Vicky took the glass from Mr. Turner's hand and gulped it down, shivering slightly from the buzz. Mabel's and Dipper's mother followed her husband out the door.

"Where are you going?!" she said as she dried her tears.

"Away. Those freaks deserve each other." he said as he stumbled into the car and drove off. The mother returned to the house, sitting down with Timmy's father, who offered her the whiskey bottle. She ripped it from his hand and chugged down, emptying the bottle before dropping it onto the couch. Mabel's mother started crying again, trying to hug herself as the tears poured down her face. The light was blocked out as warm hands came around her. Dipper and Mabel comforted their mother as her tears surged out. The broken family stayed in place, the twins comforting their mother as Timmy's father silently moved towards the other end of the couch. As the clock ticked by, Timmy eventually gained the courage to come down and witness the aftermath.

"Timmy?" his dad said.

"Yes?"

"Did you know about this?"

"Eh… kind of."

"I see… Dipper?"

Timmy's father turned towards Mabel's brother, who stood up as he held his sister's hand.

"Do you truly love her?"

"Yes. More than anything."

"Well, it should be known that incest is illegal in the state of California." Timmy's dad said as he stood up.

Dipper looked down, believing that the police would be returning soon to drag him or Mabel away in handcuffs.

"Make sure this stays behind closed doors." Timmy's dad said before returning up the stairs and going to bed.

Dipper and Mabel both let out a sigh of relief as they collectively collapsed into the chairs.

"Well, that could have gone better." Dipper said.

"Could have been a lot worse, too."

"Mabel…" a voice whimpered out.

The twins looked towards the sound of the pitiful voice. Their mother had her face buried between her hands as she looked tearfully at her daughter.

"Mabel… I want to go home." she muttered, sounding like a pitiful child.

"I'm staying in Dimmsdale. Our friends in Piedmont know who we are, and I don't want to hide anymore. Here, the only people who know don't care. Everyone else just thinks we're friends. It's better that way."

"Okay…" Mabel's mother whispered before standing up.

The twins' mother made her way out the door, only to find her ride long gone, driven off by her husband. She collapsed onto the steps, the effects of the alcohol making its way through her system as she wobbled in place. Timmy came outside jiggling the keys to Vicky's car in his hand.

"Need a ride?"

The somber lady nodded before she stood up. Timmy supported her towards the car, helping her into the front seat before moving around to the driver's side.

"I'll drop you off by the apartment. You got the keys, right?"

The lady nodded as she fiddled with her seatbelt.

"Here, let me help."

Timmy took the belt and clicked it in.

"Thank you." she slurred.

Timmy started driving towards the apartments, his passenger wobbling in the seat and slowly losing focus.

"Pull over." she muttered.

Timmy pulled over to the side of the road. The mother opened the door and vomited into the street, expelling the minty poison through several heaves. After a minute of dry lurches, the mother moved back into the car and slammed the door shut. Timmy continued driving, pulling up to the building minutes later.

"Are you going to be alright?" he asked worriedly.

"Yes." she said, expelling the stench of stomach acid into Timmy's nostrils. He held back on gagging as he stood out of the car and escorted Mabel's mother to the door. The lady fiddled with her pockets before retrieving the keys and opening the door. Timmy escorted her into the bedroom, where she collapsed onto the bed. Timmy helped her lift the sheets over, covering her as she curled up.

"Do you need anything before I go?"

"Water please."

Timmy walked away, returning seconds later with the broken lady's request.

"Thank you." she muttered before sipping the water.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine."

Timmy began walking away from the bed.

"What did I do wrong?"

Timmy turned and looked; the twins' mother was crying again as she sipped the water.

"You didn't do anything wrong." Timmy said reassuringly.

"I did. Why else would they turn out that way?"

Timmy walked back over and sat on the foot of the bed, grabbing hold of the mother's hand and giving it a light squeeze.

"I don't think you screwed anything up. The two never mentioned abuse, or neglect, or any problems with you or their dad. I think they're just… different."

The room became silent, save for an occasional shuttered cry. Timmy again started to leave, but the mother held him to the bed, desperate for support.

"How come you helped them?" the Pines' mother asked as she choked back her tears.

"Well, I saw how much they needed each other. They were kind of a wreck alone, but together, it's like a switch flipped. You saw how Dipper looked like shit earlier. He looked a hell of a lot worse when I first met him. They _need_ each other, and if their love is wrong, then I don't want to be right."

"You're a good person, Timmy Turner." she said with a light smile.

"I try."

Timmy stood up and stretched his legs before walking towards the door.

"What are you going to do?" he asked before exiting.

"I'll stay here. Mabel will still need a place to stay while she finishes school."

"Okay. I'll see you later."

"Goodbye"

Timmy walked out and back to the car.

Mable and Dipper were sitting on the living room couch with Vicky, avoiding eye contact with their vicious protector.

"Sorry about the whole 'giving your dad PTSD' thing, but hopefully it'll keep him off your backs. That and me being friends with a police officer." Vicky said casually as she wiped away a blood drop from her nose.

"Uh, thanks?" Dipper said, half terrified of Vicky's sadistic side and half grateful that it was directed against his attacking father.

Mabel nearly fell asleep on her brother's shoulder before they heard the sound of the car return. Timmy walked back inside to find Mabel and Dipper looking expectantly.

"Your mom's going to be alright. She's going to stay and help Mabel for the rest of the school year."

"Are we safe?"

"I think so. She's coming to terms with your relationship. She'll probably never fully understand it, but she'll at least accept it since you two are better off together."

"Good. Thanks for everything."

Timmy let out a yawn.

"Well, I'm exhausted. Are you coming to bed Vicky?"

Vicky stood off the couch, following Timmy up the stairs into his room with a devious lust in her eyes.

"So, Mabel… you want to go to bed?"

"Yeah. I've missed you, bro-bro."

Dipper and Mabel stood up, holding hands as they smiled contently into the other's eyes. They walked down the stairs, Dipper only stopping to drop off a sock in front of the door as a warning. The pair walked down to the rickety makeshift bed.

"Hey bro, the sock goblin took your sock." Mabel said playfully.

"He can keep it. You've got something much more precious of mine."

"What's that?"

"My heart."

Mabel started laughing before being silenced by a kiss. Dipper broke it off, looking into Mabel's eyes.

"You cheesy, sexy dork. I'm going to eat you up."

Dipper and Mabel embraced as they fell down onto the bed.

_Monday_

Dipper awoke to the sound of light snoring. He looked over to find Mabel in his arms, clinging to his bare chest. He smiled contently as he relaxed into the bed, lightly brushing Mabel's hair aside before he closed his eyes, not yet willing to end this perfect moment with Mabel. His sister, his twin, his best friend, and his lover.

"_Together again."_


End file.
